Published: Sunday, July 26, 2026
Rabat’s Olympic Stadium is set to host a thrilling spectacle on Sunday on the first day of Group A of the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. This clash between Algeria and Senegal marks a first: while their male counterparts regularly face each other, culminating in the CAN 2019 final won by the Fennecs (1-0), the two women’s national teams have never crossed paths before in the history of the competition.
Write your story: Lionesses want to break the glass ceiling
After two quarter-finals in a row (2022 and 2024), Senegalese women no longer appear as extras. Continuing their progress, Mame Moussa Cissé’s women, who have led the team since 2019, now aim to reach the final four and historic qualification for the World Cup.
“The legitimate ambition today is to try to reach the final and go to the World Cup (…) Today we are here to take this qualitative step forward in Senegalese women’s football.”
The coach is relying on a group with a rejuvenated but ambitious face, which includes experienced leaders and young talents from the U17 and U20 categories: “If I had thought differently, we would have stayed in the country (…) We have a mixed squad, a very homogeneous group (…) I think we are ready. Now we have to put together all the ingredients so that we can reach this milestone.”
The statistics from this first meeting are in favor of a good start, with Senegal winning their first match in their last two matches (2-0 against Uganda in 2022 and 4-0 against DR Congo in 2024). The Senegalese attack will be able to count in particular on its main asset, Nguénard Ndiaye, the top scorer in the history of the country in Canada with 5 goals (including 4 registered in the 2024 season alone).
However, Senegal will have to overcome their Indian mark against the North African countries, against whom the Lionesses have never scored a single goal in three encounters (two defeats 1-0 to Morocco and 0-0 to Tunisia).
Algiers – an impenetrable defensive wall
Algerian coach Farid Benstiti is approaching the tournament with his team’s recent progress in mind as they enter the seventh final stage. Freed from all pressure, Algerians intend to continue their collective rise in power.
The Fennecs’ main asset lies in their remarkable defensive solidity: Algeria have not conceded a single goal during CAN 2024 (4 clean sheets) and continue an impressive run of 416 minutes of invincibility in the tournament. His last earned achievement dates back to 2018.
However, the Algerians face a serious offensive challenge. They have scored just one goal in Canada’s last four matches (a 1-0 win over Botswana) and have gone 381 minutes without scoring, finishing their last three matches in scoreless draws (0-0).
Heard…
“Solidarity. Willingness to do something together. Positive environment (…) It is in unity that we can do this. And the group is in this operational solidarity, where everyone exists for the sake of the other.”
Mame Moussa Cissé (Senegal coach) on the group’s state of mind
“Today Algeria is compared to Senegal as a team that will certainly cause problems for the other three teams. And I have the impression that we have every opportunity to play in this group to spoil the situation. And that suits me quite well because we have made a lot of progress.”
Farid Benstiti, coach of the Algerian national team
In the state
Algeria has faced West Africa eight times in the past, with 2 wins, 1 draw and 5 defeats.