Morocco’s Atlas Lionesses face Cameroon at Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat on Wednesday, August 12, with a place in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final at stake.
After beating South Africa 2-1 in the quarterfinals to book their place at the 2027 Women’s World Cup, the Atlas Lionesses head into the semifinals hoping to keep their impressive run going.
Jorge Vilda’s side topped their group with seven points, beating Kenya 4-0 and Algeria 1-0 before drawing 0-0 with Senegal. They also finished the group stage without conceding a goal, underlining the defensive strength that has been one of the team’s biggest assets throughout the tournament.
That resilience was tested again in the quarterfinal against a strong South African side. After taking a two-goal lead, Morocco had to withstand a late fightback to protect their advantage and, above all, secure qualification for the World Cup in Brazil.
But Ghizlane Chebbak and her teammates are not satisfied with reaching the World Cup. After finishing runners-up in 2022 and 2024, Morocco now have the chance to reach a third consecutive AFCON final.
“We will approach this match with confidence and responsibility to achieve our goal, which is to reach the final,” Sanaâ Mssoudy said at a news conference on Tuesday.
The midfielder is also expecting the home crowd at Moulay El Hassan Stadium to play its part.
“We expect a big crowd because their support will help us win the match against Cameroon,” she said.
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Vilda will have a full squad available for the semifinal. “All the players are ready to play,” the national team coach said, describing Cameroon as a “difficult team to play against.” The Spanish coach added that his players are “physically and mentally ready” for the match.
Cameroon, however, will arrive in Rabat with plenty of confidence. The Indomitable Lionesses went unbeaten in the group stage before producing one of the biggest results of the quarterfinals, eliminating defending champions Nigeria 1-0.
That result serves as a clear warning for Morocco, who will need to remain composed while taking their chances in front of goal.
At this stage of the tournament, there is little room for error. “We cannot afford to make mistakes,” Mssoudy said. With another final within reach, the Moroccan national team knows what is at stake.
Morocco vs. Cameroon kicks off at 9 p.m. Morocco time on Wednesday. The semifinal will be broadcast live on Arryadia TNT, the third channel of the SNRT group. It will also be available on beIN Sports, Britain’s Channel 4, DAZN in Europe, Ziggo and CANAL+ in French-speaking Africa, among other broadcasters.
The other semifinal will see Algeria face Malawi at 6 p.m. The two winners will meet on Sunday to compete for the continental title.
