WAFCON: Algeria beat Morocco on penalties to claim bronze

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Algeria secured a historic bronze medal at the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 after defeating hosts Morocco 3-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in regulation time in Rabat on Saturday.

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The victory marks Algeria’s first-ever podium finish in the history of the competition, giving the North Africans a memorable end to their campaign after their semi-final defeat to Malawi.

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Morocco started the match strongly and came close to taking the lead in the 17th minute when Ibtissam Jraidi’s first-time effort struck the crossbar.

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The hosts eventually broke the deadlock nine minutes later. Kautar Azraf showed excellent technique to beat her marker before using her left foot to curl the ball into the far corner and put Morocco ahead.

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Azraf nearly doubled the advantage soon afterwards with a volley, but the effort bounced awkwardly and lost direction before Algeria cleared the danger.

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Jraidi had another opportunity in the 63rd minute after being played through on goal, but she failed to make a clean connection with her effort.

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Algeria, however, returned from the break with greater purpose and began putting the Moroccan defence under sustained pressure.

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Captain Marine Dafeur came close in the 77th minute after receiving a perfectly weighted pass, but she could not direct her effort towards goal.

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Three minutes later, Lina Boussaha produced another warning with a well-struck volley that narrowly cleared the crossbar.

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The pressure finally paid off in the 83rd minute. Melissa Bethi delivered a brilliant through ball for Boussaha, who kept her composure to beat the goalkeeper and level the match at 1-1.

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Neither side could find a winning goal before the final whistle, forcing the contest to be decided by a penalty shootout.

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Algeria held their nerve from the spot to win 3-2, with Ines Belloumou converting the decisive penalty to complete a historic victory.

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The result earns Algeria their first WAFCON bronze medal and a place on the podium, while Morocco finish fourth after an impressive run on home soil.

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For Algeria, the victory provides a fitting reward for their resilience and marks a significant milestone in the history of their women’s national team.

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