Algeria focus on Kenya after late defeat by Morocco at WAFCON 2026

Algeria’s players have chosen not to blame the referee after a late goal condemned them to a 1-0 defeat by Morocco at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

The Group A rivals met at Stade Moulay El Hassan in Rabat on Thursday, with the decisive moment arriving six minutes before the end of normal time. Sanaa Mssoudy scored for Morocco in the 84th minute to settle a closely contested match.

Amira Ould Braham said she believed Algeria should have been awarded a foul at the start of the move that led to Morocco’s goal. However, the midfielder stopped short of directing criticism at referee Aline Guimbang Etong and instead stressed the importance of looking ahead to the rest of the tournament.

Speaking to La Gazette du Fennec in the mixed zone after the match, Ould Braham explained that the incident had been frustrating for the Algerian players, but that the team did not want to use the officiating as an excuse for the result.

Her team-mate Ikram Adjabi adopted a similar position when asked by the publication about the performance of the Cameroonian official. Algeria’s players were disappointed by the outcome, but neither player sought to make the referee the focus of their post-match reaction.

The defeat leaves Algeria second in Group A on three points, after they began their campaign with a 2-0 victory against Senegal. Their next fixture is against Kenya on Monday, when Farid Benstiti’s side must win if they are to maintain their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.

The result against Morocco was particularly significant because it was the second match in the group stage and left Algeria needing to respond immediately. A victory over Kenya would give them a stronger chance of progressing, while another setback would make qualification considerably more difficult.

Morocco made the most of their late opportunity in Rabat, with Mssoudy’s goal deciding a match in which Algeria had been unable to turn their efforts into an equaliser. The Algerian players now have little time to dwell on the defeat before preparing for their final group-stage challenge.

Ould Braham and Adjabi’s comments reflect Algeria’s desire to concentrate on that task rather than prolong the debate over the decision before Morocco’s goal. For Benstiti’s side, the priority is clear: secure three points against Kenya and keep their quarter-final hopes alive.