Morocco have advanced to the semi-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after defeating defending champions South Africa 2-1 in a thrilling quarter-final clash on Saturday.
The victory also secured Morocco’s qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Playing at the Stade Moulay El Hassan in Rabat, the Atlas Lionesses took the lead in the 31st minute through Sakina Ouzraoui, who finished after receiving a pass from Hanane Aït El Haj.
South Africa went into the break trailing by a goal but found themselves two goals down shortly after the restart.
Aït El Haj converted from the penalty spot in the 52nd minute to double Morocco’s advantage.
Banyana Banyana responded in the 67th minute when Thembi Kgatlana pulled one back, giving the defending champions hope of forcing an equaliser.
However, Morocco held firm during the closing stages to secure a 2-1 victory and book their place among the final four.
The result means Morocco have also secured one of Africa’s direct tickets to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Under the competition format, the four WAFCON semi-finalists qualify automatically for the tournament.
For the hosts, the achievement represents another milestone in the rapid development of women’s football in the country. Morocco reached the WAFCON final in 2024 before losing to Nigeria.
South Africa, meanwhile, have seen their title defence come to an end after failing to overcome the hosts.
Kgatlana, who played a key role in South Africa’s qualification for the tournament, managed to get on the scoresheet again but could not inspire Banyana Banyana to another comeback.
Morocco will now wait for the outcome of the remaining quarter-final matches to discover their semi-final opponent as they continue their quest for a maiden WAFCON title.
The 2026 WAFCON is being hosted by Morocco from July 25 to August 16 and also serves as Africa’s qualifying tournament for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Six African teams will eventually secure places in the global tournament, with four qualifying directly through the WAFCON semi-finals and two others earning opportunities through the FIFA Play-Off Tournament.