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Tunisia and Algeria Face Off in Historic WAFCON Encounter
Tunisia and Algeria are set to meet for the first time in the history of the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) during a Group B match at the Père Jégo Stadium in Casablanca. The game is scheduled for Thursday, with kickoff set for 17:00 local time (16:00 GMT). This encounter marks a significant moment as it is the first-ever meeting between two neighboring North African nations that share a 1,034-kilometer border.
This will also be only the second WAFCON fixture between two North African teams in the tournament’s history. The first occurred in 1998 when Morocco defeated Egypt 4-1 in the group stage.
Tunisia’s Struggles at the Tournament
Tunisia started their campaign with a 3-0 loss to Nigeria, which remains their heaviest defeat in WAFCON history. This was only the second time they have conceded three goals in a single match, following a 3-2 loss to Mali in 2008.
The team is currently on a four-game losing streak at the finals, failing to score in all those matches while conceding five goals. Their goal drought has extended to 388 minutes without scoring at WAFCON, with their last win being a 4-1 victory over Togo in 2022.
Tunisia has never won their second group game at the finals, drawing 0-0 with Nigeria in 2008 and losing 1-0 to Zambia in 2022. A loss against Algeria would mark the first time Tunisia has started a WAFCON campaign with back-to-back defeats.
In their opening match, Tunisia completed just 97 passes—only the second time they have recorded fewer than 100 passes in a WAFCON game. They failed to register a single shot on target and had just 28% possession, both the lowest figures in their last two tournament appearances. Goalkeeper Soulayma Jebrani made six saves from nine shots faced, which is the most she has made in a single WAFCON game.
Algeria’s Strong Start and Experience
Algeria opened their tournament with a 1-0 win over Botswana, marking their second-ever opening match victory. Their first came against Ghana in 2014. This is Algeria’s sixth WAFCON appearance, making them the most experienced North African side at the finals.
A win against Tunisia would be the first time Algeria records back-to-back victories at the tournament. If they avoid defeat, it would also be their first unbeaten run in consecutive WAFCON matches.
Algeria has a mixed record in second group matches, with five games played, one win, and four losses. Their only win came in 2004, a 3-0 victory over Mali. The win over Botswana ended a five-game losing streak and was their first victory since beating Ghana 1-0 in 2014.
Over their last 10 WAFCON matches, Algeria has always produced a winner, with two wins and eight losses. Their last draw was a 3-3 result against Equatorial Guinea in 2006. Across 16 tournament matches, Algeria has drawn only once, with three wins and 12 losses.
In their opener, Algeria completed 336 of 432 passes (77.8% accuracy). They recorded seven shots on target, with four in the first half. They did not face any shots on target in the first half, with three in the second. Ghoutia Karchouni scored the winning goal with her only shot on target.
Ines Belloumou led all players with 89 touches in the match, while Melissa Bethi was involved in a game-high 14 duels, winning eight—more than any other player on the pitch.
