Women’s AFCON 2026: Cote d’Ivoire and Algeria meet in historic last-eight tie

Cote d’Ivoire and Algeria will contest the opening quarter-final of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026 on Saturday, with the match marking the first meeting between the two nations in the history of the tournament.

The quarter-final will be played at the Stade Moulay Rachid in Casablanca, Morocco, and will kick off at 19:00 French time. The game starts at 18:00 in Algeria and 17:00 in Cote d’Ivoire.

Viewers in France can watch the match live on beIN Sports. In Cote d’Ivoire, it will be shown on RTI and Canal+ Sport Afrique, while audiences in Algeria can follow the game on beIN Sports Mena 6.

Neither side has faced the other previously in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, adding further significance to a tie which will determine one of the tournament’s semi-finalists.

Algeria looking to make history

Algeria reached the knockout stage after finishing second in Group A behind hosts Morocco. The Fennecs began their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Senegal before losing 1-0 to Morocco.

They secured their place in the quarter-finals on the final matchday by beating Kenya 2-0. Marine Dafeur is Algeria’s leading scorer in the competition, with two goals so far.

Victory would send Algeria into the semi-finals of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations for the first time. The Fennecs reached the quarter-finals last year but did not progress beyond that stage.

Cote d’Ivoire, meanwhile, topped Group B without losing a match. The Elephants opened with a 4-1 win over Burkina Faso, drew 2-2 with South Africa and then defeated Tanzania 2-1.

The Ivorians have shown considerable attacking variety during the group stage, with five different players finding the net. Ines Konan leads the team with three goals, while Grace-Ruth Sery has scored twice.

Nsira Ouedraogo also caught the eye on the final day after scoring against Tanzania.

Cote d’Ivoire are managed by Reynald Pedros and will be aiming to reach the semi-finals for only the second time. Their previous appearance in the last four came in 2014, when the tournament was contested by just eight teams.

The winners of Saturday’s match will therefore achieve a significant milestone: Algeria would reach the semi-finals for the first time, while Cote d’Ivoire would return to that stage for the first time since 2014.