By Amaechi Agbo

Algeria and Senegal are set to kick off the expanded 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) on Sunday, in a highly anticipated Group A opener at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat, Morocco

The match marks the official curtain-raiser for the 14th edition of Africa’s premier women’s tournament, which features an expanded field of 16 teams. Beyond continental glory, the stakes are historically high as all four tournament semi-finalists will book a direct ticket to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Both sides enter the tournament following a wave of rescheduling delays, but with momentum heavily favoring the North-West African clash.

The Les Fennecs enter WAFCON on a high note after wrapping up their preparatory campaign with a 1-0 victory over Zambia, showing defensive resilience just in time for the tournament.

On their own, the Teranga Lionesses are aiming to secure their opening-game victory for a third consecutive tournament. They previously reached the quarterfinals in the last two editions and look to leverage star forward Nguenar Ndiaye, the nation’s leading goal scorer in the finals.

While this marks the very first WAFCON meeting between these two nations on the women’s side, the fixture is drenched in subplots—most notably calling back to the 2019 men’s AFCON final where Algeria beat Senegal 1-0 to capture the crown.

The newly expanded tournament format has split the 16 qualified teams into four competitive groups. Group A features host nation Morocco, Kenya, Algeria, and Senegal.

The action officially begins on Sunday at 17:00 GMT. Following the Algeria-Senegal opener, hosts Morocco will play Kenya at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat later that evening.