Morocco, Algeria seal Women’s World Cup places
Algeria secured its first qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup and will be joined at next year's finals in Brazil by North African rival Morocco after both sides won their quarter-final ties at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday (AEST).
Algeria defeated 10-player Cote d'Ivoire 2-1 in Casablanca, while Morocco edged South Africa by the same scoreline in Rabat to seal its passage having featured in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The four Africa Cup of Nations semi-finalists qualify for the global tournament that will be staged from 25 June to 26 July next year.
Cote d'Ivoire and South Africa can still qualify via FIFA’s inter-confederation play-offs, where three additional tickets to the FIFA Women's World Cup are up for grabs.
They will feature in play-off matches at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations on Friday (AEST) to see who will claim one of the two places set aside for Africa at the inter-confederation play-offs.
Morocco will next meet the winner of the third quarter-final between Cameroon and Nigeria on Monday (AEST), while Algeria waits for the winner of the tie between Ghana and Malawi.
South Africa will face the loser of the Cameroon and Nigeria clash in the play-off for the inter-confederation competition, while Cote d'Ivoire will meet either Ghana or Malawi.
Second half goals from Ines Khiri and Amira Ould Braham sealed victory for Algeria in its quarter-final as it came from behind after Ines Konan had given the Ivorians the lead.
The latter had the dangerous Nsira Ouedraogo sent off in the 41st minute for a boot to the face of Algeria goalkeeper Chloe N'Gazi and also missed a second-half penalty as Rebecca Elloh hit the post when the score was 1-1.
Morocco took a 2-0 lead in their quarter-final thanks to goals from Sakina Ouzraoui and Hanane Ait El Haj (penalty), but were made to sweat as Thembi Kgatlana pulled one back for South Africa midway through the second half.
There have only been three previous winners of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations. Nigeria has a record 10 titles to go with two for Equatorial Guinea and one for South Africa.
