Morocco and Algeria target bronze as Womens Africa Cup of Nations line-ups are confirmed

Morocco and Algeria will meet in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026 third-place match on Saturday, with both sides aiming to finish the tournament on the podium. The match will be played at the Stade Olympique de Rabat, with kick-off scheduled for 17:00 GMT.

The starting line-ups have been announced for the North African derby, which gives both teams an opportunity to end their campaigns with a win after falling short in the semi-finals.

Morocco were knocked out by Cameroon in the last four, while Algeria’s run was ended by Malawi. The two teams will now compete for third place in front of the Moroccan supporters in Rabat.

For the hosts, the match represents a chance to claim the bronze medal and bring their tournament to a positive conclusion on home soil. Morocco will be looking to produce one final strong performance in front of their own fans after missing out on a place in the final.

Algeria are also seeking a place on the podium following a landmark campaign. The Fennecs reached the semi-finals of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations for the first time, and victory against Morocco would provide a reward for that progress.

The two managers have selected the following starting teams for the match.

Morocco: Er-Rmichi, Redouani, Benzina, Nakkach, Jraidi, Tagnaout, Atiq, Ait El Haj, Ouzraoui, Mrabet, Azraf.

Algeria: N’gazi-Boumrar, Khezami, Bethi, Boussaha, Adjabi-Diong, Bendris, Khiri, Belloumou, Ould Braham, Dafeur, Smits Ouraghi.

The fixture brings together two teams from the Maghreb at the end of a competition in which both have gone further than before in their respective campaigns. Morocco will have the advantage of playing at the Stade Olympique de Rabat, but Algeria arrive with the incentive of securing their first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations podium finish after reaching the semi-finals for the first time.

With no place in the final now available to either side, the third-place match offers one last opportunity to finish the tournament with silverware. The hosts are pursuing bronze in front of their home crowd, while Algeria are hoping to mark their historic semi-final appearance with a victory.

The match begins at 17:00 GMT on Saturday, 15 August.