Hosts Morocco and Algeria booked their places in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after finishing first and second in Group A respectively, while Senegal and Kenya were eliminated from the competition on Monday.
Morocco secured top spot with seven points despite being held to a goalless draw by Senegal in Rabat. The Atlas Lionesses had already done enough to guarantee qualification following victories over Kenya and Algeria in their opening two matches.
The hosts had a golden opportunity to maintain their perfect record when they were awarded a penalty midway through the second half after Marieme Babou brought down Sakina Ouzraoui inside the area.
Yasmin Mrabet stepped up to take the spot-kick but was denied by Senegal’s teenage goalkeeper Adji Ndiaye. Although the initial save was ruled out after Ndiaye was adjudged to have moved off her line too early, the 18-year-old produced another brilliant stop from the retake to keep Morocco at bay.
Senegal nearly snatched the winner before the break when Ndeye Diakhate’s powerful volley struck the crossbar, but neither side could find the breakthrough as the match ended in a stalemate.
In the other Group A fixture played simultaneously, Algeria cruised to a 2-0 victory over Kenya to seal second place with six points.
Marine Dafeur opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a stunning long-range free-kick before Lynda Bendris doubled Algeria’s advantage nine minutes later after capitalising on a defensive mistake and calmly lobbing goalkeeper Lilian Awuor.
The defeat marked the end of a disappointing campaign for Kenya’s Harambee Starlets, who exited the tournament without collecting a point after losing all three group-stage matches.
Senegal also bowed out despite finishing with four points, narrowly missing out on a place in the last eight.
Morocco will now face the runners-up from Group B in the quarter-finals, while Algeria are set to meet the Group B winners.
The race for qualification in Group B remains finely poised, with Ivory Coast leading the standings on four points, Burkina Faso and Tanzania both on three points, and defending champions South Africa still in contention with one point ahead of the final round of group matches.
Besides competing for the continental title and a record prize purse of $2 million, teams are also chasing qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, with all four WAFCON semi-finalists earning automatic tickets to the global showpiece.
