Morocco vs Algeria Women WAFCON Preview
Morocco and Algeria will be looking to secure some consolation when they meet in the Women's Africa Cup of Nations third-place match on Saturday.
The Atlas Lionesses are yet to suffer a 90-minute defeat, and having also beaten the Fennecs in the group stage, they should have the edge over their North African rivals.
Key Stats
- Morocco are unbeaten in their last five matches.
- Morocco have won the last two matches against Algeria.
- Algeria have lost two of their last four matches in all competitions.
Recent Edge for Morocco
Algeria have four wins and one draw while Morocco have picked up two victories in the last seven meetings. However, the Atlas Lionesses’ wins have come in the last two meetings, including a 1-0 triumph during the group stage of this tournament.
Morocco's Chance for Redemption
Morocco are in the third-place match after losing on penalties to Cameroon in the semi-finals. They failed to make their dominance count and played out a 0-0 draw after extra time before losing in the shootout.
That result will come as a huge disappointment to Morocco, who have featured in the finals of the last two editions and were targeting a repeat this year. The task for Jorge Vilda’s team will now be to give the home fans something to cheer about on Saturday.
One positive for Morocco is that they have not suffered a regulation-time defeat at this tournament and claimed a 1-0 victory over Algeria during the group stage. Their solid form also goes beyond the WAFCON as they are unbeaten in their last 10 matches in all competitions.
Bridge too Far for Algeria
Algeria head into this clash off the back of a 3-1 defeat to Malawi in the semi-final. They were second best for much of the contest, with Ikram Adjabi’s effort after the break proving to be a mere consolation.
The result ended Algeria's chance of claiming a first-ever WAFCON title. However, the Fennecs still have the chance to make some history as they have never won the bronze medal at this tournament.
It has not been the smoothest campaign for Algeria, and a place in the final proved a bridge too far. Farid Benstiti's team have lost two of their last four matches, a run that included a group stage defeat to Morocco.
Team News and Predicted Line-ups
Morocco (4-2-3-1): Khadija Er-Rmichi; Hanane Ait El Haj, Nouhalia Benzina, Maryame Atiq, Zineb Redouani; Najiat Badri, Yasmin Mrabet; Sakina Ouzraoui, Fatima Tagnaout, Sanaa Mssoudy; Rania Boutiebi.
Morocco are likely to make a few changes to the team, giving some of the fringe players some playing time. Boutiebi, Tagnaout and Badri all came off the bench last time out and could earn a start on Saturday, while Benzina and Atiq should maintain their partnership at centre-back.
Algeria (4-4-2): Chloe N'gazi; Wassila Alouache, Lana Smits, Roselene Khezami, Ines Belloumou; Amira Ould Braham, Melissa Bethi, Marine Dafeur, Ines Khiri; Sofia Bekhaled, Ikram Adjabi.
Algeria will be without defender Morgane Belkhiter, who is suspended following a red card in the semi-final. Alouache could feature at the back while Bekhaled could be handed a start after coming off the bench in the last two matches.