2026 WAFCON: Clinical Algeria Overcome Senegal in Group A Opener

2026 WAFCON: Clinical Algeria Overcome Senegal in Group A Opener

By BSN Sports 

Algeria opened their TotalEnergies CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Morocco 2026 campaign with a composed 2-0 victory over Senegal in their Group A opener on Saturday in Rabat, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

Goals from captain Marine Dafeur and Mélissa Bethi earned the North Africans a deserved three points after a disciplined performance that placed them in a strong early position in the race for a place in the knockout stage.

Although Senegal enjoyed slightly more possession, Algeria were the more incisive side in the final third, creating the better scoring opportunities and forcing five saves from the Senegalese goalkeeper while limiting their opponents to just two shots on target.

Algeria took the lead in the 13th minute when they were awarded a penalty, and captain Marine Dafeur made no mistake from the spot to give her side an early advantage.

The goal settled Algeria, who combined defensive organisation with purposeful attacking play to frustrate Senegal for much of the contest.

After the break, Algeria returned with greater intensity, controlling key moments of the game and putting sustained pressure on the Senegalese defence. Tactical substitutions in the second half injected fresh energy into the Algerian attack, while Senegal also made changes in an attempt to find an equaliser.

Algeria eventually sealed the victory in the 85th minute when Lina Boussaha provided a well-weighted pass for Mélissa Bethi, who finished confidently to double her side's lead and put the result beyond doubt.

Senegal pressed forward in the closing minutes, but Algeria remained compact and composed to preserve their clean sheet and complete an impressive opening-day victory.

The result gives Algeria the perfect start to their Group A campaign ahead of a highly anticipated clash with tournament hosts Morocco on Thursday. Senegal, meanwhile, will look to bounce back when they face Kenya in their second group fixture.

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Senegal head coach Mame Moussa Cissé admitted his side paid the price for costly mistakes.

"We gave our opponents too much space. We lost this match because of the individual errors we made. We will analyse what worked, take the necessary lessons from this performance, and shift our focus to the next match. We now have to regroup and make sure we beat Kenya," Cissé said.