Morocco’s penalty heartbreak: From WAFCON history-makers to hosts without a medal

Morocco’s recent Women’s Africa Cup of Nations story has taken a painful turn, with the penalty spot changing from a symbol of historic success into the setting for two defeats that ended the Atlas Lionesses’ hopes on home soil.

The hosts’ 2026 WAFCON campaign ended without a medal after they suffered consecutive penalty-shootout defeats against Cameroon and Algeria.

Morocco drew 0-0 with Cameroon in the semi-final before losing 3-1 on penalties, ruling them out of the final. Three days later, they were beaten 3-2 on penalties by Algeria after a 1-1 draw in the third-place playoff.

The two defeats left Morocco fourth and unable to finish the tournament on the podium.

The shootout that made Morocco history

Four years earlier, the penalty spot had provided one of the defining moments in the rise of Moroccan women’s football.

At the 2022 WAFCON, Morocco reached the semi-finals for the first time, with Nigeria standing between the hosts and a historic place in the final.

After the match finished 1-1 following extra time, the contest was decided by penalties.

Morocco converted all five of its attempts to win the shootout 5-4 and secure a place in its first-ever WAFCON final.

It was a landmark achievement for the Atlas Lionesses, who had overcome one of Africa’s traditional powers under immense pressure.

On that occasion, penalties represented composure, confidence and resilience.

Morocco’s 2024 final was reached without a shootout

Morocco returned to the WAFCON final in the 2024 edition, which was eventually staged in 2025 after being postponed.

But penalties were not a defining factor in the Atlas Lionesses’ route to the final.

Morocco progressed through the knockout stages before defeating Mali 3-1 to book another place in the final.

That means Morocco’s recent history should not be viewed as a pattern of repeated penalty-shootout victories followed by defeats.

Instead, the penalty spot provided a historic breakthrough in 2022 before becoming the source of heartbreak in 2026.

Cameroon turns the tables

The contrast became clear in the 2026 semi-final.

Morocco and Cameroon could not be separated after 120 minutes, with the score remaining 0-0 and a place in the final eventually decided by penalties.

This time, the Atlas Lionesses could not repeat their success against Nigeria.

Cameroon won 3-1 in the shootout to reach the final, while Morocco’s hopes of claiming the title on home soil were over.

For the hosts, the defeat was particularly painful because they had another opportunity to settle the contest before penalties but were unable to take it.

The same spot that had witnessed Morocco’s historic triumph over Nigeria in 2022 had now brought an end to their hopes of reaching another final.

Algeria deny Morocco a medal

Morocco still had a chance to finish the tournament with a bronze medal when they faced Algeria in the third-place playoff on 15 August.

The match again ended level, this time at 1-1, sending the two sides into another shootout.

Algeria held their nerve to win 3-2 on penalties and claim the bronze medal.

Morocco therefore suffered two successive knockout defeats through penalties.

The first ended their hopes of reaching the final, while the second denied them a place on the podium.

From historic triumph to double heartbreak

The contrast between 2022 and 2026 makes Morocco’s recent penalty record particularly striking.

In 2022, five successful kicks against Nigeria sent the Atlas Lionesses into their first WAFCON final and helped establish Morocco as a growing force in African women’s football.

In 2026, two shootouts produced the opposite outcome.

Cameroon beat Morocco 3-1 in the semi-final, before Algeria prevailed 3-2 in the battle for third place.

The penalty spot had gone from being the scene of one of Morocco’s greatest achievements to the place where their hopes of a title and a medal disappeared.

Is it really a curse?

Calling penalties a curse may be dramatic, but the contrast is difficult to overlook.

Morocco’s recent WAFCON history now contains two very different penalty stories: a historic victory against Nigeria in 2022 and two painful defeats on home soil in 2026.

Yet penalties offer no reward for past success.

Every shootout presents a new test of technique, concentration and composure, and previous victories cannot guarantee success in the next one.

For Morocco, the 2026 tournament provided a particularly painful reminder.

The penalty spot once helped the Atlas Lionesses make history. Four years later, it became the setting for their most difficult WAFCON ending.

Despite the disappointment, Morocco remain one of the leading forces in African women’s football. The experience of a home tournament ending without a medal will now form another chapter in the Atlas Lionesses’ continuing rise.