Morocco and Algeria Face Off for Third Place in WAFCON

Hosts Morocco and Algeria will meet again at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. They will clash for third place at the Rabat Olympic Stadium at 6pm on Saturday.

The TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 third-place match is a special one. The Confederation of African Football pointed out some important firsts about this North African derby.

CAF announced on its website on Saturday, "This will be the first meeting between two North African teams in a medal match at WAFCON."

This match is also the first time two teams from the same region will compete for third place.

Morocco wants to finish in the top three for the third time. They were runners-up in 2022 and 2024. Algeria, on the other hand, is guaranteed their best finish regardless of what happens on Saturday.

The two teams met earlier in the group stage. Morocco won that match 1-0, thanks to Sanaa Mssoudy’s goal in the 84th minute.

CAF mentioned that this will be the third time teams that faced each other in the group stage will meet again in the third-place match.

They said, "In 2012, Nigeria defeated Cameroon 2-1 in the group stages. Then Cameroon got revenge with a 1-0 win in the third-place match."

"In 2018, Cameroon defeated Mali twice, winning 2-1 in the group stages and 4-2 in the third-place match," CAF added.

Morocco Aiming for a Historic Finish

Morocco missed a chance to reach the final after Cameroon held them to a goalless draw. Cameroon then won 3-1 on penalties.

This defeat ended Morocco’s hopes for a third straight WAFCON final. It also marked the first time they failed to reach at least the final as hosts.

CAF stated that a win against Algeria would give Morocco a third top-three finish at the competition. "A win would also mean Morocco finishes in the top three in all three tournaments they have hosted," CAF said.

But if they lose, it will be the first time Morocco finishes outside the top three as hosts.

The Atlas Lionesses have had a tough time with penalties at WAFCON. All three of their semi-finals went to shoot-outs.

In the match against Cameroon, Hanane Ait El Haj scored her penalty. This brought Morocco’s successful spot-kicks to 10 in WAFCON shoot-outs. However, Kenza Chapelle, Maryame Atiq, and Sakina Ouzraoui missed their penalties.

CAF said Chapelle became "the first Moroccan player to fail to convert in a WAFCON shoot-out."

Morocco struggled to create clear chances against Cameroon. They had 64 percent possession, made 566 passes with 426 completed, and only had three shots on target.

Algeria Seeks Their Best Finish Ever

Algeria lost 3-1 to Malawi in the semi-finals, ending their hopes of reaching the final. But Saturday’s match still offers a chance to make history.

CAF confirmed that "Regardless of the outcome of the third-place play-off, Algeria will achieve their highest-ever finish at a WAFCON finals."

Algeria faced a setback against Malawi when Morgane Belkhiter was sent off in the 22nd minute. She became the first Algerian player to get a red card in the tournament.

This defeat was Algeria’s first loss in open play in a WAFCON knockout match. Their only previous knockout defeat was on penalties against Ghana after a goalless match in the 2024 edition.

Ikram Adjabi scored Algeria’s only goal against Malawi. This was her first goal of the tournament, making her the sixth different Algerian player to score in this edition.

CAF added, "Algeria’s last three goals have all been scored in the second half."

Adjabi stood out against Malawi, with four shots on target, the most by any player in the semi-final. Goalkeeper Chloé N’Gazi also made four saves.

Morocco Leads in North African Rivalry

Morocco has won both of their previous WAFCON matches against North African teams. They beat Egypt 4-1 in the 1998 group stage and Algeria 1-0 in the current tournament.

CAF stated that Morocco is now facing North African teams outside the group stage for the first time.

Algeria has yet to beat or score against a North African opponent at WAFCON. They drew 0-0 with Tunisia in the 2024 group stage before losing 1-0 to Morocco this year.

"Algeria are also facing a North African opponent beyond the group stages for the first time," CAF said.

The winner in Rabat will become the eighth different nation to finish third at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. They will join Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia.

Ghana holds the record for the most third-place finishes, winning all four of their third-place play-offs in 2000, 2004, 2016, and 2024.

Morocco and Algeria will compete not just for bronze but also for a spot in WAFCON history when they meet at the Rabat Olympic Stadium.