Women’s AFCON 2026: Senegal coach Mame Moussa Cissé targets semi-final place

Senegal head coach Mame Moussa Cissé says his side will travel to the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with the ambition of reaching the semi-finals, believing the Lionesses have gained enough experience from previous tournaments to compete for a place among the continent’s top four.

The Senegal women’s national team received the national flag on Monday ahead of their departure for Morocco, where they will make their third consecutive appearance at the Women’s AFCON.

Drawn alongside Algeria, hosts Morocco and Kenya in the group stage, the Lionesses are aiming to improve on their performances at the previous two editions of the tournament, where they reached the quarter-finals on both occasions.

For Cissé, progressing beyond that stage has become the team’s primary objective.

“The goal is to reach the semi-finals. Even if the Federation doesn’t say so, it’s normal to have ambitions to reach the semi-finals after reaching the quarter-finals in the last two editions. Personally, it’s a dream.

This AFCON is special for me. Reaching the semi-finals is a feeling shared by the players, the Federation, and the Senegalese people. We’re going there to climb the ranks.

But we know it will be very difficult for us, as it is for everyone else. Senegal is no longer a small team. This will be our third consecutive AFCON, so we have some confidence. We’re going there with a lot of humility but with the ambition to reach the semi-finals,” Cissé told Wiw Sport.

A place in the last four would carry added significance for Senegal, as it would also secure qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The Lionesses have never appeared at the global tournament, making qualification a major milestone in the history of the women’s national team.

Despite the long-term objective, Cissé insists his players are fully focused on their opening fixture against Algeria, which he believes could shape the rest of their campaign.

“The first match will be extremely important. We need to get a good result. We’re already focused. Algeria is also a great team that wants to emulate Senegal. It won’t be easy for either side. We’ll have to do everything we can to make a successful start to the competition. We’ll play every match like it’s a final.”

The Senegal coach also expressed confidence in the depth of his squad after assessing his players during the team’s preparations for the tournament.

According to Cissé, every member of the squad has been given an opportunity to prove themselves, providing the coaching staff with valuable insight ahead of the competition.

“We brought 24 players, and everyone got to play. This allows us to know who we can really rely on to get the competition off to a better start.

But if we really want to achieve our goal, we’ll have to do it with 26 players. I have 26 starters. These matches have allowed me to see how we can put together a competitive team.”

As Senegal prepare to begin another Women’s AFCON campaign, Cissé believes the experience accumulated over recent years has strengthened the squad’s confidence.

While acknowledging the challenges that lie ahead, the coach is convinced his players have the belief and determination to compete for a historic place in the semi-finals and move one step closer to the country’s first-ever Women’s World Cup appearance.