Algeria secured a historic bronze medal at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after defeating hosts Morocco 3–2 on penalties following a 1–1 draw in regulation time at the Rabat Olympic Stadium on Saturday.

The victory marked Algeria’s best-ever finish in the history of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, while Morocco were left to settle for fourth place after another painful penalty-shootout defeat on home soil.

Morocco took the lead in the 37th minute through Kautar Azraf, giving the Atlas Lionesses a 1–0 advantage going into the interval.

The hosts appeared to have extended their lead in the second half when Maryam Atiq found the net, but the effort was ruled out, keeping Algeria within touching distance.

Algeria continued to press for an equaliser and were rewarded in the 83rd minute, when Lina Boussaha scored to level the contest at 1–1.

Neither side could find a winner before the final whistle, sending the bronze-medal match straight to a penalty shootout.

The shootout produced another dramatic collapse for Morocco. The hosts converted their first two penalties but failed to score their next three attempts. Algeria also missed twice, but Inès Belloumou converted the decisive kick to seal a 3–2 shootout victory for the North Africans.

The drama had already begun before the shootout. Morocco had a late opportunity to win the match when captain Nouhaila Benzina was awarded a penalty in stoppage time, but her effort struck the post. The match subsequently went to penalties.

The defeat compounded Morocco's disappointment after they were eliminated by Cameroon in the semi-final on penalties earlier in the week. Morocco had drawn 0–0 with Cameroon before losing the shootout 3–1.

It also means Morocco have now failed to win the WAFCON in each of the three editions they have hosted. They finished runners-up in both 2022 and 2024 and were unable to secure a podium finish on home soil in 2026.

For Algeria, however, the result capped a landmark tournament. The team had reached the WAFCON semi-finals for the first time and subsequently secured its first-ever qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup. The bronze medal now represents the highest finish achieved by Algeria at the continental championship.

The encounter was also historic because it was the first time two North African teams had contested a medal match at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, according to CAF. The two neighbours had already met in the group stage, with Morocco winning 1–0 through Sanaa Mssoudy's 84th-minute goal.

Algeria's triumph therefore provided a measure of revenge for that earlier group-stage defeat and ensured that the Desert Foxes finished the tournament on the podium.

Final result:

Morocco 1–1 Algeria

Algeria win 3–2 on penalties

🥉 Algeria — Bronze Medal

Morocco — Fourth Place