Algeria claimed the bronze medal at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations after defeating hosts Morocco 3-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in the third-place play-off in Rabat on Saturday.

The result handed Algeria their place on the podium, while Morocco suffered another painful penalty shootout defeat in front of their home supporters.

Morocco took the lead in the 37th minute through Kautar Azraf, but Lina Boussaha restored parity for Algeria in the 83rd minute. Neither side could find a winner before the end of regulation time, with no extra time played.

The match therefore went straight to penalties.

Morocco converted their opening two spot-kicks before missing their next three attempts. Algeria also missed two of their four penalties, but Ines Belloumou converted the decisive kick to secure the bronze medal.

The defeat was particularly disappointing for Morocco, who have now fallen short in all three editions of the WAFCON hosted on home soil. They finished runners-up in both 2022 and 2024 before losing the third-place play-off this year.

Despite missing out on a medal, Morocco’s run to the semi-finals secured their qualification for next year’s 32-team Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Algeria, meanwhile, join hosts Morocco, Cameroon and Malawi among the African teams guaranteed places at the global tournament. South Africa and Ghana could increase Africa’s representation to six teams if they qualify through the intercontinental play-offs.

The WAFCON final between Cameroon and surprise finalists Malawi is scheduled for Sunday.