Algeria secured a first-ever qualification for the Women’s World Cup and will be joined at next year’s finals in Brazil by North African rivals Morocco after both sides won their quarter-final ties at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday.
Algeria defeated 10-player Ivory Coast 2-1 in Casablanca, while Morocco edged South Africa by the same scoreline in Rabat to seal their passage having featured in the 2023 World Cup.
The four Cup of Nations semi-finalists qualify for the global tournament that will be staged from June 24 to July 25.
Ivory Coast and South Africa can still qualify via FIFA’s inter-confederation play-offs, where three additional tickets to the World Cup are up for grabs.
They will feature in play-off matches at the Women’s Cup of Nations on Thursday to see who will claim one of the two places set aside for Africa at the inter-confederation play-offs.
Morocco will next meet the winner of the third quarter-final between Cameroon and Nigeria on Sunday, while Algeria wait for the winner of the tie between Ghana and Malawi.
South Africa will face the loser of the Cameroon-Nigeria clash in the play-off for the inter-confederation competition, while Ivory Coast meet either the Ghanaians or Malawi.
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Second half goals from Ines Khiri and Amira Ould Braham sealed victory for Algeria in their quarter-final as they came from behind after Ines Konan had given the Ivorians the lead.
The latter had the dangerous Nsira Ouedraogo sent off in the 41st minute for a boot to the face of Algerian goalkeeper Chloe N’Gazi and also missed a second-half penalty as Rebecca Elloh hit the post when the score was 1-1.
Morocco took a 2-0 lead in their quarter-final thanks to goals from Sakina Ouzraoui and Hanane Ait El Haj (penalty), but were made to sweat as Thembi Kgatlana pulled one back for South Africa midway through the second half.
There have only ever been three previous winners of the Women’s Cup of Nations. Nigeria have a record 10 titles to go with two for Equatorial Guinea and one for South Africa.