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Women’s AFCON 2026: Algeria And Morocco Win On Day 1
Following its initial postponement earlier in the year, the 2026 Women’s African Cup of Nations kicked off at long last this evening. The sixteen-team tournament, up from twelve in the last edition, is set to see the most matches in the competition’s history.
This all began today as the first two matches unfolded in Group A, providing plenty of entertainment for the fans.
Tournament hosts Morocco kicked off their tournament against Kenya. The host nation will be looking to go one better in this edition of the competition, having fallen just short on their past two attempts.
Having tasted defeat against Nigeria in the 2024 final, Moroccan head coach Jorge Vilda will be looking for his team to make the final step this time around.
Here is a look at what unfolded on the opening day of the tournament:
Algeria 2-0 Senegal
It was not the hosts who would open the tournament, as Algeria and Senegal took to the pitch. Both sides suffered defeat in the 2024 quarter-finals in the same fashion, as penalty shootouts proved to be their downfall.
Now back, with renewed ambition, both teams were looking to get off to the perfect start in the city of Rabat.
Senegal had the first big opportunity of the game as Korka Fall was found unmarked in the box. However, an instinctive block from Morgane Belkhiter prevented Fall from finding the back of the net.
However, it would be Algeria who landed the first blow of proceedings from the penalty spot, as Bristol City midfielder Marine Dafeur coolly converted to score the opening goal of this tournament.
Whilst it was Senegal who enjoyed both the larger share of possession and more attempts at goal throughout the duration of the match, Mame Cissé’s team lacked that clinical edge; something they paid a price for.
Algeria ensured this result would go in their favour in the latter stages of the game, as a casual pass from Senegalese goalkeeper Khady Faye landed at the feet of Lina Boussaha.
The midfielder calmly played the ball through to 20-year-old Mélissa Bethi, who remained composed and fired into the back of the net to put this result beyond doubt.
A win and a clean sheet marked the perfect start to the tournament for Algeria, whose impressive defensive record remains intact.
Morocco 4-0 Kenya
The hosts of this year’s competition wasted no time in making a clear statement of intent in their opening game, dismantling Kenya, who simply had no answer for the frontline.
UD Tenerife winger Sakina Diki put the Moroccans in the lead inside the opening twenty minutes with an accurate low-driven shot that nestled into the bottom corner.
Less than ten minutes later, Morocco’s advantage was doubled as Maryame Atiq leapt the highest to head home another effort that found the bottom corner; the hosts were cruising now.
This game would be all but wrapped up by the interval as striker Ibtissam Jraïdi added her name to the scoresheet on the stroke of half-time. The 33-year-old got on the end of an inviting ball into the box from captain El Haj, heading past a helpless Lilian Awuor.
A break in play clearly did not halt the momentum of the Moroccans, as Jraïdi once again came alive in the box, reacting quickest to fire the ball into the back of the net and make it four.
It was dominant from the hosts, who enjoyed 65% of possession throughout the game, firing 19 shots on goal, ten of which were on target. Vilda’s team will look to build on this as they look to take that final step to the Women’s AFCON trophy.
Day 2 Matches
South Africa vs Tanzania – 6pm
Ivory Coast vs Burkina Faso – 9pm
Credit: Harry Day
