Algeria and Senegal launch the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday evening, with the tournament’s opening match taking place in Rabat and broadcast live in several countries across Europe and Africa.
The Group-stage clash kicks off at 19:00 in France, 18:00 in Algeria and 17:00 in Senegal at the Stade Olympique de Rabat in Morocco. Viewers in France can watch the game live on beIN Sports, while coverage in Algeria will be shown on beIN Sports MENA. In Senegal, the match will be broadcast on Canal+ Sport.
Both sides go into the curtain-raiser looking to set the tone for their campaign with a positive result, aware that an early slip could immediately put them under pressure in the group.
Algeria seek to build on encouraging warm-up form
Algeria arrive at the finals on the back of a solid preparation phase. On Wednesday, they rounded off their build-up with a 1-0 victory over Zambia, three days after drawing 1-1 with the Copper Queens.
Those results helped restore some confidence following a difficult April window, when Algeria lost twice to South Africa, who finished fourth at the previous edition of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. The Algerians were beaten 1-0 and 2-0 in that double-header against Banyana Banyana.
The recent friendlies have nevertheless given Algeria a platform and a clearer picture of their level heading into a major continental tournament, with defensive solidity and narrow scorelines a recurring feature of their preparation.
Senegal look to carry momentum despite mixed results
Senegal also approach the opening match with reasons for optimism. Their most recent outing brought a hard-fought 1-0 win away to Egypt on 8 July, a result that offered a timely boost ahead of the trip to Morocco.
That victory followed a tougher period in June, when Senegal suffered back-to-back defeats against Nigeria, the reigning African champions. The Lionesses of Teranga lost 2-1 and 3-0 in those two encounters, underlining the challenge of competing with the continent’s leading side but also providing a benchmark for the standard required at the CAN.
Despite those setbacks, the narrow win in Egypt has helped to steady preparations and inject belief as Senegal prepare for an opening test against an Algeria team still fine-tuning its form.
Recent head-to-heads favour Senegal
Senegal hold the upper hand in the recent meetings between the two nations. In their last two friendly matches, the Senegalese recorded comprehensive victories over Algeria.
In July 2025, Senegal ran out 3-0 winners, extending a dominant run that had started two years earlier. In July 2023, they had inflicted a heavy 4-0 defeat on the Algerians, a result that underlined the gap between the sides at that point.
Those past scorelines suggest Senegal may have a psychological edge going into Sunday’s encounter. However, both squads have evolved since those friendlies, and the opening match of a major tournament often produces a tighter, more cautious contest than previous meetings.
With Algeria buoyed by recent positive results against Zambia and Senegal encouraged by their away win in Egypt, the first game of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations promises to be a significant early indicator of both teams’ ambitions in Morocco.
