Morocco seek revenge against South Africa in pivotal Women’s AFCON quarter-final

Morocco will face South Africa in the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals on Saturday, with the hosts aiming to overcome the team that denied them the title on home soil four years ago.

The match will be played at Stade Moulay El Hassan in Rabat, with kick-off scheduled for 22:00 French time and 21:00 in Morocco.

Viewers in France will be able to watch the game on beIN Sports, although the specific channel has yet to be confirmed. In Morocco, the quarter-final will be shown on both beIN Sports Xtra and Arryadia.

Morocco enter the tie unbeaten and as Group A winners after making an impressive start to the tournament. Jorge Vilda’s side opened their campaign with a 4-0 victory over Kenya before beating Algeria 1-0. They then completed the group stage with a goalless draw against Senegal.

As hosts and runners-up in the previous two editions of the competition, Morocco are determined to go a step further this time. They reached the final in both tournaments but were unable to claim the trophy, and will now have to defeat a familiar opponent if they are to continue their pursuit of a first continental title.

South Africa, meanwhile, finished second in Group B after a mixed campaign. The Banyana Banyana began with a 2-1 defeat by Kenya, then drew 2-2 with Cote d’Ivoire before recovering to beat Burkina Faso 1-0.

The quarter-final will renew a rivalry that has already produced difficult memories for Morocco. The teams have met only once previously at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, with South Africa winning 2-1 in the 2022 final, also played in Morocco.

They met again in a friendly in December 2025, when South Africa prevailed 2-0. Morocco therefore face a side that has beaten them in their two most recent meetings, and will need to end that run to keep their hopes of becoming African champions alive.

The match carries particular significance for the hosts because of the contrasting paths taken by the two teams in the group stage. Morocco reached the knockout phase without defeat, while South Africa had to recover from an early setback before securing their place in the last eight.

With the fixture taking place in Rabat, Morocco will have home advantage once again. But South Africa’s recent record against them means the hosts cannot afford to rely solely on support from the stands as they attempt to reach another semi-final and finally turn successive final appearances into a championship triumph.