Morocco v Algeria: TV and kick-off details for decisive 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations group derby

Morocco and Algeria face off in Rabat on Thursday evening in a pivotal 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations group match that could see the winner become the first team to secure a quarter-final place.

The North African rivals meet at the Stade Moulay El Hassan in the Moroccan capital, with kick-off set for 22:00 in France and 21:00 in both Algeria and Morocco.

The game is the second round of group fixtures at the CAN feminine 2026, with both sides having won their opening matches and now aiming to seal progression to the knockout phase with one matchday to spare. Victory would guarantee a spot in the quarter-finals, while the losing team would be left relying on the final round of group games to determine their fate.

How to watch in France, Morocco and Algeria

In France, the encounter will be broadcast live on beIN Sports. The channel’s decision to show the match comes after complaints from viewers following its failure to air the opening games of the tournament.

In North Africa, the match will be available live on beIN Sports Mena 6 in both Morocco and Algeria. In addition, Moroccan viewers will be able to watch the game domestically on Arryadia, which is providing coverage exclusively within Morocco.

Morocco and Algeria chasing early qualification

Both teams arrive in Rabat in confident mood after convincing wins in their first group outings.

Morocco made a strong start on home soil by sweeping aside Kenya 4-0. Sakina Ouzraoui and Maryem Atiq were both on the scoresheet, while Ibtissam Jraidi struck twice to complete a dominant performance from the hosts.

Algeria also opened their campaign with a clean sheet and three points, defeating Senegal 2-0. Their victory was shaped by goals from Marine Dafeur and Melissa Bethi, giving them momentum heading into the regional derby.

With identical records from their first matches, Thursday’s contest is set to determine who takes control of the group and secures the first confirmed place in the quarter-finals of this CAN feminine.

Rivalry resumes after four-year gap

This will be the first meeting between the women’s national teams of Morocco and Algeria since 22 February 2020, when they faced each other in qualifying for the 2020 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

On that occasion, Morocco claimed a 2-0 away win. The final tournament scheduled for later that year was subsequently cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Thursday’s fixture is also the first encounter between the two sides since a controversy that surfaced during the previous edition of the competition. The Algerian delegation was accused at the time of deliberately avoiding any mention of its hosts, both in public statements and on visual material, leading to tensions around the fixture off the pitch.

Those issues form part of the backdrop to a match that already carries significant sporting weight, with regional pride, group supremacy and early qualification for the quarter-finals all on the line in Rabat.