Algeria, Morocco seal Women’s World Cup qualification

Aug 8 : Algeria secured a first-ever qualification for the Women's World Cup and will be joined at next year's finals in Brazil by North African rivals Morocco after both sides won their quarter-final ties at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday.

Algeria defeated 10-player Ivory Coast 2-1 in Casablanca, while Morocco edged South Africa by the same scoreline in Rabat to seal their passage having featured in the 2023 World Cup.

The four Cup of Nations semi-finalists qualify for the global tournament that will be staged from June 24 to July 25.  

Ivory Coast and South Africa can still qualify via FIFA’s inter-confederation play-offs, where three additional tickets to the World Cup are up for grabs.

They will feature in play-off matches at the Women's Cup of Nations on Thursday to see who will claim one of the two places set aside for Africa at the inter-confederation play-offs.

Morocco will next meet the winner of the third quarter-final between Cameroon and Nigeria on Sunday, while Algeria wait for the winner of the tie between Ghana and Malawi.

South Africa will face the loser of the Cameroon-Nigeria clash in the play-off for the inter-confederation competition, while Ivory Coast meet either the Ghanaians or Malawi.

Second half goals from Ines Khiri and Amira Ould Braham sealed victory for Algeria in their quarter-final as they came from behind after Ines Konan had given the Ivorians the lead. 

The latter had the dangerous Nsira Ouedraogo sent off in the 41st minute for a boot to the face of Algerian goalkeeper Chloe N'Gazi and also missed a second-half penalty as Rebecca Elloh hit the post when the score was 1-1.

Morocco took a 2-0 lead in their quarter-final thanks to goals from Sakina Ouzraoui and Hanane Ait El Haj