Algeria v Senegal: TV channel and kick-off time for 2026 Women’s AFCON curtain-raiser

Algeria and Senegal launch the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday evening in Rabat, with both sides aiming to begin their campaign with a statement victory in the tournament’s opening match.

The Group-stage fixture will be played at the Stade Olympique de Rabat in Morocco, with kick-off set for 19:00 in France, 18:00 in Algeria and 17:00 in Senegal.

In France, the game will be shown live on beIN Sports. Viewers in Algeria can watch on beIN Sports MENA, while the match will be broadcast in Senegal on Canal+ Sport.

Both teams arrive with confidence boosted by recent friendly wins, but with contrasting records in their most recent series of matches and head-to-head meetings.

Algeria seeking to build on encouraging warm-up

Algeria concluded their preparations on a positive note on Wednesday, edging Zambia 1-0 just three days after a 1-1 draw against the same opponents, known as the Copper Queens.

Those results offered encouragement following a more difficult spell in April, when Algeria suffered back-to-back defeats against South Africa, losing 1-0 and 2-0. The South Africans finished fourth at the previous edition of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, underlining the level of opposition Algeria faced in those friendlies.

The North African side will now look to carry the momentum from the Zambia matches into a meeting that already feels significant in the context of their group campaign. With the opening fixture often shaping early confidence and qualification prospects, avoiding defeat – and ideally securing three points – is seen as crucial.

Senegal looking to convert promise into points

Senegal also approach the tournament curtain-raiser in positive mood after a narrow 1-0 away victory over Egypt on 8 July.

That result followed a more testing June window, when Senegal twice lost to Nigeria, the reigning African champions. The Nigerians won 2-1 and 3-0 in those encounters, exposing areas Senegal will hope to have tightened up before facing Algeria.

Despite those setbacks, the recent win in Egypt has restored some optimism, with Senegal aiming to show they can compete with sides outside the traditional continental powerhouses and push for a place in the knockout stages.

Senegal’s recent dominance over Algeria

Recent history between the two teams favours Senegal. In their last two meetings, both friendlies, Senegal have won convincingly.

In July 2025, Senegal defeated Algeria 3-0, backing up an even more emphatic 4-0 victory in July 2023. Those results give the West African side a clear psychological edge heading into Sunday’s match, although both sets of players and staff will be aware that tournament football can quickly produce different narratives.

For Algeria, the opener offers a chance to reverse that recent trend and confirm the progress suggested by their latest friendlies. For Senegal, it is an opportunity to extend their dominance in this fixture onto the biggest stage in African women’s football.

The stakes are clear: an early win in Rabat would not only put either Algeria or Senegal in a strong position in the group, but also set the tone for their entire 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign.