On Sunday, July 26, 2026, the Olympic Stadium in Rabat is gearing up to host an electrifying encounter for the opening day of Group A in the TotalEnergies CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations. This match between Algeria and Senegal marks a significant milestone in women's football, as it is the first time these two national teams will meet in the history of the competition, despite their male counterparts regularly facing each other, including the memorable 2019 CAN final won by Algeria with a score of 1-0.
Writing Their Own History: Senegal's Lionesses Aim to Break the Glass Ceiling
After reaching the quarter-finals in both 2022 and 2024, the Senegalese women's team is no longer content with merely participating. Under the leadership of Mame Moussa Cissé since 2019, they are now setting their sights on reaching the semi-finals and achieving historic qualification for the World Cup. Cissé expressed the team's aspirations: "The legitimate ambition now is to try to reach the final and go to the World Cup. We are here to elevate women's football in Senegal." The coach relies on a rejuvenated yet ambitious squad that blends experienced players with emerging talents from the U17 and U20 categories. He confidently stated, "If I thought otherwise, we would have stayed at home. We have a very balanced group, and I believe we are ready. It's now up to us to put all the ingredients together to take this step forward."
For their opening match, statistics suggest a positive start; Senegal has won its opening match in the last two editions, defeating Uganda 2-0 in 2022 and the DR Congo 4-0 in 2024. The Senegalese attack will rely heavily on their star player, Nguenar Ndiaye, who is the all-time top scorer for the country in the CAN with five goals, four of which were scored in the 2024 edition alone. However, Senegal must overcome a historical barrier against North African teams, having failed to score in three previous encounters, which included two 1-0 defeats to Morocco and a goalless draw against Tunisia.
Algeria: An Unbreakable Defensive Wall
On the Algerian side, head coach Farid Benstiti enters the tournament with confidence, buoyed by the recent progress of his team, which is participating in its seventh final phase. The Algerians are free from pressure and intend to continue their upward trajectory. The primary strength of the Fennecs lies in their remarkable defensive solidity; Algeria did not concede any goals during the 2024 CAN, achieving four clean sheets and maintaining an impressive streak of 416 minutes without allowing a goal in the tournament, the last one dating back to 2018.
However, the Algerians face a significant offensive challenge. They managed to score just one goal in their last four CAN matches (a 1-0 victory against Botswana) and have gone 381 minutes without finding the back of the net, concluding their last three outings with a score of 0-0.
As Mame Moussa Cissé reflected on the team's mindset, he emphasized, "Solidarity. The will to do things together. A positive environment... It is in unity that we can achieve this. The group is in this operational solidarity where everyone is there for each other." Meanwhile, Farid Benstiti acknowledged the potential challenges posed by Senegal, stating, "Algeria is currently a team that will certainly create problems for the other three teams. I feel we have the cards to play the troublemakers in this group, and that suits me perfectly because we have progressed significantly."
Statistically Speaking: Algeria has faced West African teams eight times in the past, resulting in two victories, one draw, and five defeats.
As reported by cafonline.com.
