WAFCON Saturday fixtures: Ivory Coast, Algeria, Morocco and South Africa battle for semi-final spots
By Joel Masibo, August 8, 2026Côte d’Ivoire will take on Algeria in the first quarterfinal of the TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026 in what turns out to be a battle between firepower and fortress mastery on Saturday, August 8, 2026.
The Ivorians have found the back of the net an impressive eight times, a joint second-highest tally in the group stages of the 16-team WAFCON, while Algeria have conceded just once in the competition so far, a joint second-best defensive record at this edition.
Algeria have conceded just once in regular time in their last seven WAFCON games. Eliminated by Ghana in the quarterfinals at last year’s edition 4-2 on penalties after a goalless draw following extra time and a Sanaâ Mssoudy lone goal in the 84th minute this year have been Algeria’s only faults across two editions.
Algeria’s solid defence and the towering goalkeeper Chloe N’Gazi have established themselves at the heart of the conversation of both tournaments.
Lady Elephants face ‘biggest test’
When Côte d’Ivoire came into the WAFCON 2026, they were underdogs but after their opening 4-1 victory against neighbours Burkina Faso, they started to capture everyone’s attention. Then, they led 2-0 against WAFCON 2022 champions South Africa before the latter used their tournament experience to impose a notable comeback scoring in the 71st and 99th minutes.
More than a gam
Brick by brick, Algeria are building patiently. One game at a time.
A recent revamp in the last three years has seen them showcase the intent of a squad that wants to dominate the continent like never before. In the midst of that rebuilding is head coach Farid Benstiti.
“I keep being marvelled by what this team is doing. In the past three years, they have continued to grow. This is what I like about this team. So, for Reynald Pedros [the Côte d’Ivoire head coach] to say that we are the best team in the tournament, I take it as a compliment. He is my friend so we know each other very well and we respect each other. I don’t think that he is being hypocritical. That is very kind of him,” Benstiti says gratefully.
Morocco vs Algeria
A final before a final. The football gods are out in full armour at the ongoing TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026 and have delivered a heavyweight stakes matchup.
In a repeat of the WAFCON 2022 final, hosts Morocco take on winners four years ago South Africa, in a must-win encounter at the Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat on Saturday night.
Banyana Banyana won 2-1 in a thrilling match back then and this time, this is a two-fold tie with a place in the semifinals on the line as well as an automatic slot to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 in Brazil.
Both teams approach this match with revamped squads but share the same ambition, to continue their journey towards continental glory.
Morocco arrives brimming with confidence after dominating the group stages. The Atlas Lionesses finished top of Group A without conceding a single goal, thanks to victories against Kenya 4-0 and Algeria 1-0, before settling for a goalless draw against Senegal.
Solid defensively, the Moroccans have confirmed the progress made over the past few years and boast an impressive run of three consecutive clean sheets, a first in their history in a major tournament.
South Africa, on the other hand, had a more turbulent run in a particularly tough Group B. After falling to Tanzania in their opening match, Banyana Banyana bounced back against Côte d’Ivoire 2-2 and then defeated Burkina Faso 1-0. This surge in form has boosted Ellis’s confidence, as she is convinced that the difficulties encountered in the group stages have strengthened her team’s resilience heading into the knockout rounds.
Banyana Banyana have faced the host nation four times in the knockout stages of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. South Africa lost 5-0 to Nigeria in the 2002 semifinals, then were defeated by Equatorial Guinea in the finals in 2008 and 2012, before overcoming Morocco in the 2022 final.