2026 Women's AFCON: Algeria-Malawi and Cameroon-Morocco, blockbuster semifinals in Rabat

The Malawian Fairy Tale Faces the Fennecs of History

The first semifinal will pit Malawi against Algeria at 17:00 GMT (18:00 local time) at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat. It is a historic first for both nations, who have never met before in the history of the competition. Malawi is living a dream run in its very first participation: the Malawians have become the first debutant team since Zimbabwe in 2000 to reach the semifinals, and could even make history by becoming the first rookie nation to reach the final, if we except the inaugural 1998 edition. This remarkable run is due in large part to their center forward Temwa Chawinga, scorer of four goals and two assists, putting her on par with Zambian Barbra Banda as the tournament’s most decisive players. While the Malawian offense is the most prolific among the four semifinalists with nine goals scored, their defense remains the most porous: Malawi is the only remaining team yet to record a clean sheet.

On the other side, Algeria also enters this match adorned by an unprecedented achievement. The Fennecs are playing their very first Women's AFCON semifinal, secured after a spectacular comeback against Ivory Coast in the quarterfinal, where they came from behind to win 2-1. Notably, both teams have also qualified for their very first Women's World Cup, which promises a high-stakes encounter carried by the euphoria of their historic runs.

The Atlas Lionesses Aim to Tame the Indomitable Lionesses

The evening's second fixture will see the Moroccans, the host nation, face Cameroon at 20:00 GMT (21:00 local time) at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat. The two sides have only met once before in the final stage, at the 2000 edition, where Cameroon won 4-1. Since then, Morocco has significantly evolved under coach Jorge Vilda, world champion with Spain in 2023, and is playing its third consecutive semifinal after securing their spot by eliminating South Africa (2-1) in the quarterfinals. The Atlas Lionesses are aiming for a third straight final, an achievement made possible by their proficiency in penalty shootouts, where they have proven unstoppable in their last two semifinals.

Cameroon, for its part, arrives with a resounding victory, having knocked out Nigeria (1-0) in the quarterfinals, the most decorated nation in the tournament. This is a result full of symbolism for the Cameroonians, who had never before managed to eliminate the Nigerians at a final tournament. But history is against them when facing a host nation: in seven matches against host countries, Cameroon has never won, with only one draw and five defeats. It's a statistic the Cameroonian players will be eager to overturn tonight, in a Moulay El Hassan Stadium that is expected to be electrified in support of the home side.

At the end of this double-header, two nations will qualify for the final, promising a unique outcome for this 2026 edition of the Women's AFCON.