Algeria and Malawi have qualified for their first Women’s World Cup, booking a place in Brazil next year by advancing to the semifinals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations this weekend. Morocco and Cameroon also secured qualification with their wins, the latter shocking ten-time WAFCON champions, Nigeria.Morocco are heading back to the World Cup after making their debut in 2023, while Cameroon are set for their third World Cup appearance.WAFCON hosts Morocco, who finished as runners-up in the prior two continental tournaments, will now take on Cameroon in the final four. The other semifinal will see a meeting between two first-time semifinalists, as Algeria face off against Malawi. Both semifinals will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 12, in Rabat.
The road to the final is getting shorter. 🇩🇿🇲🇦🇨🇲🇲🇼#TotalEnergiesWAFCON2026 pic.twitter.com/leuKZrHqdM
— CAF Women Football (@CAFwomen) August 9, 2026With reigning champions Nigeria eliminated, there will be a new continental champion in Africa. None of the four semifinalists have ever lifted the trophy either.The road to Brazil is not quite over for the defeated quarterfinalists. The losing quartet will have a chance to earn two berths to FIFA’s inter-confederation play-offs in February 2027. On Thursday, Aug. 13, the two play-in matches will see Ivory Coast take on Ghana and, in a meeting between the previous two WAFCON champions, South Africa will take on Nigeria.Algeria qualified for their first Women’s World Cup. (Muzi Ntombela / BackpagePix via CAF)Algeria 2-1 Ivory Coast — Moulay Rachid Stadium, CasablancaThe Elephants of Ivory Coast entered their WAFCON quarterfinal as one of the more attack-minded teams in the tournament, having put eight goals past their opponents in the group stage. Algeria, meanwhile, have had one of the strongest defences, conceding just once in the same period.For much of the first half of the quarterfinal, the West African side were well in control of the match. After an early goal was called back due to offside in the build-up, Ivorian forward Ines Konan formally opened the scoring in the 29th minute with her fourth goal of the tournament. But the momentum of the match immediately swung away from Ivory Coast when one of its most influential players, 18-year-old striker N’Sira Ouedraogo, was shown a straight red card just before halftime for a high cleat infraction.Reduced to 10 players, the Ivorians continued to make attempts on goal, but Algeria identified a vulnerability in goalkeeper Aramatou Diakité, who struggled to contain their long-range shots. Both of Algeria’s goals — the first from Inès Khiri in the 58th minute, then from Amira Braham in the 64th — were taken from outside the box. Ivory Coast were awarded a penalty in between Algeria’s goals, but Rébecca Elloh’s shot smacked the post and was cleared away.
