A Historic Qualification for Algeria
On August 12, Algeria will make history by competing in the first-ever semi-final of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (CAN), having triumphed over Ivory Coast with a scoreline of 2-1 in Casablanca. Shortly after, Morocco secured its place in the semi-finals as well, defeating South Africa by the same margin. With the tournament's quarter-finals concluded, the opponents for the semi-finals are set: Malawi, making waves in their first-ever participation, eliminated Ghana 2-1, while Cameroon pulled off a shocking upset by knocking out defending champions Nigeria with a narrow 1-0 victory.
The journey to this monumental achievement for Algeria was not without its challenges. In Saturday’s match, the Ivorians initially took control when Inès Konan scored in the 30th minute. However, the tide turned as Ivory Coast was reduced to ten players due to the red card issued to Habibou Ouedraogo just before half-time. This gave the Algerian squad, led by coach Farid Benstiti, an opportunity to respond. Substitute Inès Khiri leveled the match in the 58th minute, and shortly thereafter, Rebecca Elloh's missed penalty for Ivory Coast allowed Amira Ould Braham to net the winning goal at the 64th minute. Algeria held their ground until the final whistle, marking a historic win that not only propels them into the semi-finals but also secures their first-ever qualification for the Women's World Cup.
Malawi: The Unstoppable Sensation
To reach the final, Algeria will face the remarkable team that has defied all expectations throughout the tournament: Malawi. This marks their inaugural appearance in the Women's CAN, and they continued to astonish on Sunday night by eliminating Ghana. The Black Queens took an early lead in the 7th minute with a goal from Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah, but it took only five minutes for Temwa Chawinga to equalize for Malawi. Although Ghana initially thought they would regain their advantage after the break, a goal by Doris Boaduwaa was disallowed following a VAR review. In a dramatic turn of events, Rose Kadzere clinched victory for Malawi with a goal in the 79th minute. This achievement is monumental, as Malawi progresses to the semi-finals in their debut appearance and also secures their first qualification for the Women's World Cup.
Morocco has also advanced on its journey, having faced South Africa on Saturday. The Lionesses of the Atlas took the lead through Sakina Ouzraoui's goal in the 31st minute, followed by a successful penalty conversion by Hanane Aït El Haj six minutes into the second half. South Africa's Thembi Kgatlana managed to score in the 67th minute, but Morocco maintained their lead until the end of the match. This victory marks Morocco's second consecutive appearance in the Women's World Cup, following their participation in 2023.
The host nation must now be wary of Cameroon, who delivered a stunning performance by eliminating Nigeria, the tournament's most successful team, with a solitary goal from 20-year-old Myriam Maéva Nyadjou in the 19th minute. The Cameroonian goalkeeper, Michaely Bihina, played a pivotal role in securing the win, particularly with crucial saves against Uchenna Kanu in the second half. With Nigeria's exit, one thing is certain: a new African champion will be crowned on August 16.
The semi-finals will take place on Wednesday, August 12, in Rabat. Algeria will kick off the action against Malawi at 18:00 local time (19:00 in Metropolitan France) at the Olympic Stadium, followed by Morocco's clash with Cameroon at 21:00 local time (22:00 in France). The winners of these matches will meet in the final on August 16, while the match for third place is scheduled for the preceding day, August 15.
Regardless of the outcomes in this tournament, Algeria, Morocco, Malawi, and Cameroon have already secured their spots for the 2027 Women's World Cup, set to take place from June 24 to July 25, 2027. However, the journey is not yet over for Ivory Coast, Ghana, South Africa, and Nigeria, as they remain in contention for a World Cup spot. The four quarter-final losers will compete in an additional African playoff on August 13, with Ivory Coast facing Ghana and South Africa taking on Nigeria. The winners of these matches will advance to the intercontinental World Cup playoffs.
As reported by beurfm.net.
