Rabat – Morocco will take on South Africa in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cups of Nations (WAFCON) on Saturday at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, with both teams eyeing a place in the last four and automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
The Atlas Lionesses booked their place in the knockout stage after topping Group A with seven points. Jorge Vilda’s side opened the tournament with a commanding victory over Kenya before edging Algeria 1-0 and finishing the group stage with a goalless draw against Senegal.
South Africa, meanwhile, reached the quarterfinals after finishing second in Group B with four points. Banyana Banyana recovered from an opening defeat to Tanzania by drawing with Côte d’Ivoire before sealing qualification with a narrow win over Burkina Faso.
The fixture also offers Morocco the chance to avenge its defeat to South Africa in a previous WAFCON final, where Banyana Banyana lifted the continental title on Moroccan soil.
South Africa forward Gabriela Salgado acknowledged the challenge awaiting her side but remained confident ahead of the encounter.
“It’s not going to be easy against the hosts. We want to get the World Cup ticket, and we can defeat Morocco,” Salgado said.
Morocco enters the knockout stage having kept clean sheets in all three group matches, with captain Ghizlane Chebbak, Sanaa Mssoudy, Sakina Ouzraoui, and Meriem Ait El Haj expected to play key roles as the hosts continue their pursuit of a first continental title.
Victory on Saturday would not only send either side into the semifinals but also secure one of Africa’s four automatic places at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
