Algeria women cruise into third round of Los Angeles 2028 Olympic qualifying with 15-0 aggregate win

Algeria reached the third round of the African qualifiers for the women’s football tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games with a 7-0 victory over Central African Republic on Tuesday.

Farid Benstiti’s side had already taken a commanding lead in the first leg, winning 8-0 in Algiers. They completed the job at the Stade Hocine Ait Ahmed in Tizi-Ouzou with another emphatic performance.

The hosts needed only three minutes to open the scoring, with Lynda Bendris finding the net. Melissa Bethi doubled Algeria’s advantage two minutes later with an acrobatic overhead kick.

Marine Dafeur made it 3-0 in the 40th minute before Bethi scored again just before half-time to give Algeria a four-goal lead.

Bethi completed her hat-trick in the 53rd minute, underlining her influence on a dominant display. Sofia Bekhaled then converted a penalty in the 60th minute, while Emma Smaali added a seventh four minutes later.

Bendris, Dafeur and Bekhaled had also scored in the first-leg victory in Algiers.

The two wins gave Algeria a 15-0 aggregate success and secured their place in the next round, where they will face Burkina Faso.

Burkina Faso advanced after a 4-2 aggregate victory over Equatorial Guinea. Having won the first leg 3-1 in Ouagadougou, the Burkina Faso women only needed a draw in the return match to progress.

Safiatou Sam put Burkina Faso ahead after six minutes. Diana Sandra Meriva Bilelo equalised in the 12th minute, but the goal did not change the outcome of the tie.