It was another painful chapter for the Moroccan women’s national team as Algeria claimed a historic bronze medal at the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026.
The Atlas Lionesses fell 3-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in the third-place match in Rabat on Saturday, extending a frustrating run of near-misses on home soil.
Morocco’s path to the bronze medal match reflected both their progress and the fine margins that have defined their recent tournaments. As hosts for a third consecutive edition, the Lionesses topped Group A with an impressive seven points.
They opened with a dominant 4-0 win over Kenya, followed by a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Algeria, before securing their semi-final berth with a goalless draw against Senegal.
In the quarter-finals they showed resilience to eliminate defending champions South Africa 2-1, a result that also locked in their qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
That left them one step from the final, only for Cameroon to eliminate them on penalties after a tense 0-0 semi-final. The defeat sent Morocco into the third-place play-off against Algeria, who had themselves been beaten by Malawi in the other semi-final.
The hosts started the bronze-medal match strongly in front of their home crowd. Ibtissam Jraidi came closest early on, striking the crossbar with a first-time effort in the 17th minute.
Morocco eventually broke the deadlock midway through the first half. Kautar Azraf displayed excellent technique to beat her marker before curling a precise left-footed shot into the far corner to put the Lionesses ahead.
Azraf nearly doubled the lead soon afterwards with a volley that bounced awkwardly and lost its direction before Algeria cleared the danger. Jraidi had another clear opportunity in the 63rd minute after being played through, but she failed to make clean contact.
Morocco controlled large spells of the contest, yet Algeria grew into the game after the interval and began applying sustained pressure on the home defence.
Captain Marine Dafeur threatened in the 77th minute after receiving a well-weighted pass, while Lina Boussaha produced a well-struck volley that narrowly cleared the crossbar three minutes later.
The pressure finally told in the 83rd minute. Melissa Bethi delivered a brilliant through ball for Boussaha, who kept her composure to beat the goalkeeper and level the score at 1-1.
Neither side could find a winner in the remaining minutes. Drama continued deep into stoppage time when Morocco were awarded a late penalty, only for Nouhaila Benzina’s effort to strike the post.
The match went straight to a penalty shootout. Algeria held their nerve to win 3-2, with Ines Belloumou converting the decisive kick. Morocco missed three of their attempts, sealing another agonising exit from the spot after their semi-final heartbreak against Cameroon.
The result means Morocco finish fourth after an otherwise strong campaign on home soil. It continues a difficult pattern: the Lionesses reached the final in both 2022 and 2024 as hosts but finished as runners-up on each occasion, and now a third consecutive tournament on home ground has ended without a medal.
For Algeria the victory delivers their first-ever WAFCON podium finish and a fitting reward for resilience.
Despite the disappointment, Morocco’s semi-final appearance secured their place at the expanded 2027 Women’s World Cup.
The tournament has shown clear growth under coach Jorge Vilda, yet the latest penalty heartbreak leaves the question of converting strong performances into silverware still unanswered for the Atlas Lionesses.
