Hosts Morocco booked their place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Algeria, while Senegal revived their knockout hopes by defeating Kenya by the same scoreline in Thursday’s Group A action.
Morocco made it two wins from two in the tournament but had to wait until the closing stages before breaking Algeria’s resistance in a tightly contested Maghreb derby.
Mssoudy scored the decisive goal in the 84th minute to hand the Lionnes de l’Atlas all three points after Algeria had frustrated the hosts for much of the encounter.
Algeria matched Morocco throughout large spells of the game, keeping the contest level until late in the second half. However, sustained pressure from the hosts eventually paid off as Morocco found the breakthrough to secure victory.
The result moves Morocco onto six points from two matches, confirming their place in the quarter-finals and strengthening their credentials as one of the tournament favourites.
Senegal stay in the race
Earlier in the day, Senegal recorded their first victory of the competition with a 1-0 win over Kenya to reignite their hopes of reaching the knockout stage.
Seynabou Mbengue scored the only goal of the match in the 35th minute, giving the Lionesses a lead they successfully defended despite sustained pressure after the break.
Kenya dominated much of the second half and pushed aggressively for an equaliser, but Senegal’s defence held firm.
Goalkeeper Adji Ndiaye played a crucial role in preserving the victory, producing several important saves to secure a clean sheet and all three points.
Group A standings
Morocco’s second consecutive victory sees them qualify for the quarter-finals with six points.
Senegal’s win moves them onto three points, level with Algeria, setting up a decisive final-round battle for the second qualification place.
Kenya, meanwhile, have suffered back-to-back defeats and are eliminated from the tournament.
Thursday’s Group A results:
- Morocco 1-0 Algeria
- Senegal 1-0 Kenya
