Algeria vs Morocco: Benstiti Refuses to Let WAFCON Bronze Slip in Rabat

Algeria coach Farid Benstiti has told his players they cannot afford to let the WAFCON bronze medal slip through their fingers when they face hosts Morocco in Saturday's third-place play-off in Rabat.

The Fennecs arrive at the Olympic Stadium still stinging from a 3-1 semifinal defeat to Malawi on Thursday, a result that ended their run at a first Women's Africa Cup of Nations title. Benstiti wants the campaign to end with something to show for it. "We cannot relinquish this third place," he told CAF's official website. "We will respect the competition and give it our all."

Midfielder Lina Boussaha echoed the sentiment, framing the match as more than a consolation fixture. "What will motivate us tomorrow is simply to make history for the Algerian women's team," she told CAF's website. "Bringing a medal home to the people, this bronze medal, is no small thing."

"It's a Third-Place Match, But It's a Final"

Boussaha didn't leave room for her side to treat Saturday as a dead rubber. "We are simply approaching this match as a final," she said. "It's a third-place match, but it's a final. And we still have something to gain."

The fixture adds another chapter to a North Africa rivalry that's already been renewed once this tournament, Morocco beat Algeria 1-0 in the group stage. Algeria will be out to reverse that result, even with the bigger prize, a place at the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup, already secured regardless of Saturday's outcome.