Rabat – Morocco finished top of Group A at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations after playing out a goalless draw with Senegal at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium on Monday evening.
The Atlas Lionesses entered their final group match already assured of a quarter-final place following victories over Kenya and Algeria. The point against Senegal lifted Jorge Vilda’s team to seven points and confirmed first place in the section.
Neither side managed to break the deadlock in Rabat, ending Morocco’s run of scoring in every match at the tournament. However, the hosts maintained their perfect defensive record and completed the opening round without conceding a goal.
Morocco opened their campaign with a commanding 4-0 victory over Kenya before Sanaa Mssoudy scored an 84th-minute winner in a 1-0 success against Algeria. The Atlas Lionesses therefore finished the group stage with five goals scored and three clean sheets.
Senegal needed a victory to strengthen their chances of progressing but were unable to find the goal required. The Lionesses of Teranga finished third with four points after losing to Algeria, beating Kenya and drawing with Morocco.
Algeria secure second place
In the other Group A match, Algeria defeated Kenya 2-0 at the Rabat Olympic Stadium to book their place in the quarter-finals.
Marine Dafeur opened the scoring in the 14th minute before Lynda Bendris doubled Algeria’s advantage nine minutes later. Farid Benstiti’s side protected the lead for the remainder of the match and completed the group stage with six points.
The result represented Algeria’s second victory of the tournament. They began with a 2-0 win over Senegal before suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat against Morocco in the Maghreb derby.
Morocco finished first with seven points, followed by Algeria with six. Senegal placed third with four points, while Kenya ended their campaign without a point or a goal after three consecutive defeats.
The Atlas Lionesses and Algeria will now turn their attention to the quarter-finals. Their opponents will be determined by the final standings in Group B, which includes South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Tanzania.
Morocco are seeking their first Women’s AFCON title after finishing as runners-up in the previous two editions. Their unbeaten group campaign provides a solid foundation, although the knockout stage will offer a more demanding test of their championship ambitions.
