Morocco controlled the match. Morocco scored first. Morocco had a penalty in the 97th minute to win it.
They are still going home without a medal.
At the Rabat Olympic Stadium on Saturday, the hosts appeared destined to finish their WAFCON 2026 campaign with bronze. Kautar Azraf gave Morocco the lead in the 37th minute, and the Atlas Lionesses continued to put Algeria under pressure.
Then came the moment that changed everything.
With Morocco leading 1-0 and the clock deep into stoppage time, Nouhaila Benzina stepped up from the penalty spot with a chance to seal third place. She hit the post.
Algeria were still alive.
Lina Boussaha had already brought the Desert Foxes level in the 83rd minute, and after surviving Morocco’s late pressure, Algeria took the contest to penalties.
They held their nerve.
Algeria won the shootout 3-2 to claim the bronze medal and make history as the first Algerian women’s team to finish on the WAFCON podium. The match had ended 1-1 after regulation time.
For Algeria, this was the culmination of a remarkable tournament. The Desert Foxes had already secured qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and now they had added a historic WAFCON medal to their achievement.
For Morocco, the disappointment will be difficult to swallow.
The hosts had another opportunity to finish a major home tournament with silverware, but once again the decisive moment went against them. They finished fourth, while Algeria left Morocco with bronze.
Morocco had the chance to win it. Algeria managed to survive it.
And when the penalties were over, history belonged to Algeria.
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MATCH DETAILS
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Competition | TotalEnergies WAFCON 2026, Third Place Play-Off |
| Date | Saturday, August 15, 2026 |
| Venue | Olympic Stadium, Rabat, Morocco |
| Result | Morocco 1-1 Algeria (AET). Algeria win 3-2 on penalties |
| Morocco goal | Kautar Azraf 37′ — curled left foot finish into far corner. Assist: Sakina Ouzraoui / Hanane Ait El Haj |
| Algeria goal | Lina Boussaha 83′ — composed finish after Melissa Bethi / Sofia Bekhaled through ball |
| VAR disallowed | Maryame Atiq header 47′ ruled out for Morocco. Would have been 2-0 |
| Crossbar | Ibtissam Jraidi (Morocco) struck the crossbar at 17′. Kautar Azraf also hit the post early (via Ouzraoui cross) |
| Crucial penalty miss | Nouhaila Benzina missed 97th minute penalty for Morocco. Hit the post. Match went to shootout |
| Penalty shootout | Algeria win 3-2. Morocco’s Mourtaji and Badri missed |
| Algeria achievement | First ever WAFCON bronze medal. First ever podium finish in Algerian women’s football history |
| Morocco finish | Fourth place. Third consecutive WAFCON as hosts. Two finals lost (2022, 2024). Third place match lost (2026) |
| Previous WAFCON meeting | Group stage: Morocco beat Algeria 1-0 with Mssoudy goal in 84′. This was their second meeting in 16 days |
MATCH EVENTS TIMELINE
| Min | Event | Detail | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3′ | Scare for Algeria | Algeria GK N’Gazi has to intervene desperately after a Moroccan attack creates an early danger. Algeria surviving the opening pressure | 0-0 |
| 17′ | Crossbar! | Ibtissam Jraidi unleashes a powerful first-time effort that crashes against the crossbar. Morocco so close to the opener | 0-0 |
| 37′ | ⚽ GOAL | Kautar Azraf. Beats her marker and curls a left-footed effort into the far corner. Superb technique. Morocco take a deserved lead. Rabat erupts | 1-0 HT |
| 47′ | 🖥 VAR disallowed | Maryame Atiq heads home from an Ait El Haj cross. Morocco celebrate a second goal. VAR reviews. Disallowed. Crowd stunned. Still 1-0 | 1-0 |
| 48-82′ | Morocco control | Morocco dominant in possession. Algeria sitting deep and defending. The bronze medal looking like it is heading to the hosts. Algeria pushing higher in the final ten minutes | 1-0 |
| 83′ | ⚽ GOAL | Lina Boussaha. Melissa Bethi plays the brilliant through ball. Boussaha shows composure to tuck the ball past the goalkeeper. Equaliser. Seven minutes from the end. Rabat stunned | 1-1 |
| 97′ | Post! Penalty missed! | Morocco awarded a penalty in stoppage time. Benzina steps up. Strikes the post. Algeria survive. The stadium cannot believe it. Shootout now inevitable | 1-1 |
| PENS | Shootout | Algeria win 3-2. Morocco’s Chaymaa Mourtaji and Najat Badri both miss. Algeria convert three. Bronze medal confirmed | 3-2 pens |
| FT | Full Time | Algeria win the bronze medal. Morocco finish fourth. Algeria’s first ever WAFCON podium finish. Morocco’s WAFCON 2026 ends without a medal | ALG 3-2 MAR |
PENALTY SHOOTOUT SCORECARD
| Kick | Algeria | ALG | MAR | Morocco | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Algeria scorer | ✅ | ✅ | Morocco scorer | 1-1 |
| 2 | Algeria scorer | ✅ | ❌ | Chaymaa Mourtaji | 2-1 |
| 3 | Algeria scorer | ✅ | ❌ | Najat Badri | 3-1 ✅ |
| ALGERIA WIN 3-2 ON PENALTIES. BRONZE MEDAL CONFIRMED | |||||
Note: Nouhaila Benzina missed Morocco’s 97th minute penalty in stoppage time before the shootout — hitting the post. Algeria also survived two Morocco misses in the shootout proper.
MATCH REVIEW
Morocco Were the Better Team. Again It Was Not Enough.
Playing in front of their home supporters in Rabat, Morocco started with greater urgency and immediately looked capable of taking control. The hosts came close to breaking the deadlock in the 17th minute when Ibtissam Jraidi unleashed a powerful effort that crashed against the crossbar.
The pattern was immediately recognisable. Morocco on the front foot. Morocco controlling possession. Morocco threatening through wide areas. Algeria sitting deep, defending in their familiar low block, and waiting for moments to counter.
The approach that Cameroon had used so effectively against Morocco in the semi-final was now being employed by Algeria. Morocco knew it was coming. They still could not find a way through quickly enough.
Then in the 37th minute Kautar Azraf produced the goal of the third place match.
Kautar Azraf showed excellent technique to beat her marker before using her left foot to curl the ball into the far corner and put Morocco ahead.
A curling left-footed finish from inside the box into the far corner. The kind of goal that deserves to win any match. Morocco led at halftime and appeared to be in complete control of the bronze medal race.
The Second Goal That Was Not
Immediately after halftime Morocco thought they had put the match beyond reach. Maryame Atiq headed home from a cross by Hanane Ait El Haj and the home crowd began celebrating what appeared to be a 2-0 lead.
VAR reviewed the build-up. The goal was disallowed. Morocco thought they had doubled their advantage immediately after the restart but VAR ruled it out.
That VAR decision was the turning point. Morocco had the psychological momentum of a 2-0 lead for approximately 90 seconds and then had it taken away. The crowd deflated. Algeria sensed the opportunity.
Boussaha’s 83rd Minute Miracle
Algeria equalized in the 83rd minute after Melissa Bethi produced a brilliant through ball for Boussaha, who showed composure to tuck the ball past the goalkeeper.
Seven minutes from full time. Morocco needing only to hold their lead for seven more minutes. Algeria equalise. The late equaliser pattern that has defined the Algerian women’s team throughout this entire WAFCON campaign. They equalised late against Ivory Coast. They scored late against Malawi. Now they equalised in the 83rd minute against Morocco.
Then came the 97th minute.
The Post That Broke Morocco’s Hearts
In an ending worthy of a thriller, Algeria first equalised in the 83rd minute, then saw Morocco miss a penalty in the 97th minute before winning the shootout to secure third place.
Morocco were awarded a penalty in stoppage time. If Benzina converts it the bronze medal belongs to Morocco and the match is over. Benzina struck the post. The ball did not go in.
Morocco controlled the match, took the lead and even had a penalty in the 95th minute to win it. But Algeria never stopped believing. They equalized when they appeared to be on the ropes, survived Benzina’s late penalty and finally celebrated from the spot.
The shootout that followed was comfortable by comparison. Algeria won it 3-2. Morocco’s Mourtaji and Badri both missed. Algeria celebrated a bronze medal that felt like so much more than third place.
PLAYER RATINGS
| Player | Team | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lina Boussaha ⭐⚽ | Algeria | 9/10 | Player of the Match. 83rd minute equaliser with composure under maximum pressure. The goal that kept Algeria alive and eventually won them the bronze medal |
| Melissa Bethi | Algeria | 8/10 | Brilliant through ball that set up Boussaha’s equaliser. The assist that changed the entire match. Outstanding vision in the biggest moment |
| Algeria (collective defence) | Algeria | 7/10 | Survived the crossbar, the VAR goal and the 97th minute penalty. When Morocco scored and pressed, Algeria’s defensive resilience held |
| Kautar Azraf ⚽ | Morocco | 8/10 | Scored one of the goals of the tournament. Curling left-footed finish from inside the box. Could not prevent Morocco’s night from ending without a medal despite her personal brilliance |
| Ibtissam Jraidi | Morocco | 6/10 | Hit the crossbar at 17′. Dangerous throughout without the decisive touch. Morocco needed more from their forwards when they had the lead |
| Nouhaila Benzina | Morocco | 3/10 | Missed the 97th minute penalty that would have handed Morocco the bronze. Hit the post. The most costly miss of her tournament. Morocco’s bronze medal died on that post |
TEAM RATINGS
| Category | Morocco | Algeria | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attacking | 7/10 | 7/10 | Azraf’s curling goal was superb. Boussaha’s composure equally impressive. Both teams scored one outstanding goal |
| Creativity | 7/10 | 7/10 | Bethi’s through ball for Boussaha was the creative moment of the match. Morocco hit both posts across 90 minutes |
| Defending | 6/10 | 8/10 | Algeria defended for long periods with ten players behind the ball. Morocco conceded an 83rd minute equaliser after controlling 80 minutes |
| Mentality | 4/10 | 9/10 | Algeria never stopped believing down 1-0 with seven minutes left. Morocco’s shootout mentality collapsed for the second match in a row after Morocco’s opener |
| Composure | 3/10 | 9/10 | Benzina’s 97th minute penalty miss summed up Morocco’s composure crisis. Algeria converted their shootout kicks calmly under maximum pressure |
| Set Pieces | 3/10 | 8/10 | Morocco missed a penalty in stoppage time AND missed two in the shootout. Three missed penalties in one match across both normal time and the shootout |
| Coaching Decisions | 6/10 | 7/10 | Both coaches managed their teams adequately. Neither made the decisive substitution that changed the match. Algeria’s shootout order selection proved correct |
KAKAKINEWS MATCH INDEX
| Index Category | Score | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Match Quality | 8/10 | Crossbar. Disallowed goal. 83rd minute equaliser. Post from a 97th minute penalty. Shootout drama. Everything a bronze medal match should deliver |
| Algeria Performance | 8/10 | Defended for long periods. Never stopped believing. Equalised in the 83rd minute. Won the shootout. Resilience was the story of their entire WAFCON campaign |
| Morocco Performance | 6/10 | Dominated the match. Scored a superb goal. Had a penalty to win it in stoppage time. Missed everything that mattered in the final decisive moments |
| Entertainment Value | 8.5/10 | One of the most entertaining third place matches in recent WAFCON history. The 97th minute Benzina penalty miss alone makes this unmissable viewing |
| Tournament Stakes | 9/10 | Algeria’s first ever WAFCON medal. Morocco finishing fourth in their own tournament for the third time as hosts. Enormous historical weight on both sides |
| Coaching Battle | 6/10 | Neither coach produced the decisive tactical switch that changed the match. Algeria’s resilience came from the players more than the coaching interventions |
| KakakiNews Overall Match Index | 7.5/10 | A third place match that had no business being this dramatic. Azraf’s curling goal. Benzina’s post. Boussaha’s 83rd minute rescue act. Algeria claim a historic bronze that means everything to their football programme. |
WAFCON 2026 FINAL STANDINGS
| Position | Team | Medal | World Cup |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | TBC — Final tonight | Gold Medal | ✅ Qualified |
| 🥈 | TBC — Final tonight | Silver Medal | ✅ Qualified |
| 🥉 | 🇩🇿 Algeria | Bronze Medal | ✅ Qualified |
| 4th | 🇲🇦 Morocco | No medal | ✅ Qualified (as SF) |
The WAFCON 2026 final between Cameroon and Malawi takes place tonight Sunday, August 16 at the Rabat Olympic Stadium. KakakiNews will have the full final review as soon as the match concludes.
What a tournament it has been for Algeria. From never reaching a semi-final to going home with a bronze medal and a World Cup ticket. Do you think Morocco’s 2026 campaign was a failure or a success? Drop your verdict in the comments.
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EDITORIAL CREDIT
This match review was prepared by the KakakiNews Sports Editorial Team using verified reporting from Daily Post Nigeria, beIN Sports, Pulse Sports Nigeria, Flashscore, Hespress, Punch Newspapers and CAFOnline. Video highlights from Max TV Ghana. All tactical analysis, player ratings, match verdicts, and editorial commentary are original KakakiNews content.
