Morocco face Cameroon in high-stakes WAFCON 2026 semi-final
By Joel Masibo, August 12, 2026Morocco will take on Cameroon in a highly anticipated semi-final of the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 on Wednesday night, August 12, 2026, with both teams chasing a place in the continental final.
The match will be played at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, with kick-off scheduled for 9:00 pm local time (8:00 pm GMT).
For Morocco, the encounter represents another opportunity to reach the WAFCON final on home soil, while Cameroon will be hoping to overcome their difficult record against tournament hosts and return to the final for the first time since 2016.
Morocco chasing third consecutive final
Morocco booked their place in the last four after edging South Africa 2-1 in the quarter-finals. The result secured a third successive WAFCON semi-final appearance and also confirmed their qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
The Atlas Lionesses have enjoyed an impressive run in recent editions of the competition, reaching the final in both 2022 and 2024.
They have also won both of their previous semi-finals, although neither was settled within 90 minutes. Morocco defeated Nigeria on penalties after a 1-1 draw in 2022 before repeating the feat against Ghana in 2024.
Their remarkable record means Morocco have never been eliminated in a direct WAFCON knockout match before the final. Their five previous such ties have produced three victories in open play and two wins via penalty shoot-outs.
However, Morocco have never kept a clean sheet in a WAFCON knockout match, conceding in each of their seven games at this stage of the competition.
Sakina Ouzraoui and Hanane Aït El Haj were on target against South Africa, with Aït El Haj continuing to make a major contribution to the team’s campaign. She has registered five goal involvements at the tournament, scoring once and providing four assists.
Goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi could also reach another milestone if selected, with the Cameroon game potentially becoming her 17th WAFCON appearance.
Cameroon aiming to defy host-nation record
Cameroon enter the semi-final with renewed confidence after producing one of the tournament’s notable results by defeating Nigeria 1-0 in the quarter-finals.
Myriam Maéva Nyadjou scored the decisive goal in the 19th minute, while goalkeeper Michaely Bihina produced a standout performance, making nine saves to secure her second clean sheet of the tournament.
The victory was particularly significant because it was only Cameroon’s second WAFCON win over Nigeria in 14 meetings and their first-ever elimination of the Super Falcons from the finals.
It was also Cameroon’s first victory in a WAFCON quarter-final.
The Indomitable Lionesses are now appearing in their 11th semi-final, a tally surpassed only by Nigeria’s 13 appearances. They have won three of their previous 10 semi-finals, with victories coming against Ghana in 2004 and 2016 and Côte d’Ivoire in 2014.
Cameroon, however, have struggled in their most recent semi-final appearances, losing seven of their previous 10 last-four ties.
They will also have to overcome a particularly poor record against host nations. Cameroon have faced hosts six times at the WAFCON without winning, recording one draw and five defeats.
They have conceded 17 goals while scoring only once in those matches, with their sole non-defeat coming in a 1-1 draw against Ghana in 2018.
Three previous semi-final meetings against host nations have also ended in defeat, including heavy losses to Nigeria in 1998 and 2006 and a 2-0 defeat against Equatorial Guinea in 2012.
Cameroon hold historical advantage over Morocco
Despite Cameroon’s struggles against hosts, their overall record against North African opposition provides reason for optimism.
They have won all seven of their previous WAFCON matches against North African teams, including victories over Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.
Their previous encounter with Morocco at the tournament came in the 2000 group stage, when Cameroon recovered from conceding an early goal to win 4-1.
Morocco have since faced Central African opposition twice, drawing 0-0 with DR Congo in 1998 before recording a 4-2 victory over the same opponents in 2024.
Penalties could become decisive
Both teams have histories involving dramatic semi-finals, making the possibility of extra time or penalties an intriguing prospect.
Morocco have won both of their previous WAFCON semi-finals through penalty shoot-outs after 1-1 draws. They have also converted all nine penalties they have taken during WAFCON shoot-outs.
Cameroon, by contrast, have struggled when matches have gone to penalties. They have participated in three shoot-outs at the tournament and lost all three.
The Indomitable Lionesses were beaten by DR Congo in 1998, Nigeria in 2008 and Nigeria again in the 2018 semi-finals.
That contrast could become significant if Wednesday’s encounter remains level after extra time.
A place in the final awaits
Morocco are seeking a third consecutive WAFCON final appearance, while Cameroon are targeting their fourth appearance in the tournament’s showpiece match.
The hosts will enter the contest with the confidence of having progressed from every direct knockout tie before the final in their WAFCON history.
Cameroon, meanwhile, will draw belief from their quarter-final triumph over Nigeria and their strong historical record against North African opponents.
With a place in the final at stake, the semi-final in Rabat promises to be a closely contested battle between Morocco’s recent consistency and Cameroon’s determination to restore their status among Africa’s elite.