Côte d’Ivoire, Algeria in battle of contrasts
When Côte d’Ivoire take on Algeria in the first quarterfinal of the TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026, it will be a battle between firepower and fortress mastery.
The Ivorians have found the back of the net an impressive eight times – a joint second highest tally in the group stages of the 16-team WAFCON while Algeria have conceded just once in the competition so far – a joint second best defensive record at this edition.
Algeria have conceded just once in regular time in their last seven WAFCON games. Eliminated by Ghana in the quarterfinals at last year’s edition 4-2 on penalties after a goalless draw following extra time and a Sanaâ Mssoudy lone goal in the 84th minute this year have been Algeria’s only faults across two editions. Algeria’s solid defense and the towering goalkeeper Chloe N’Gazi have established themselves at the heart of the conversation of bothtournaments.
Lady Elephants face ‘biggest test’
When Côte d’Ivoire came into the WAFCON 2026, they were underdogs but after their opening 4-1 victory against neighbours Burkina Faso, they started to capture everyone’s attention. Then, they led 2-0 against WAFCON 2022 champions South Africa before the latter used their tournament experience to impose a notable comeback scoring in the 71st and 99th minutes.
This draw changed their momentum but most importantly the result was a wakeup call that they were not as perfect as they thought – that they needed to fix a couple of aspects ahead of their final group stage against Tanzania. They went on to lead 2-0 against the Twiga Stars but conceded a late penalty with Diana Msewa finding the back of the net in the 99th minute.
Two late goals – both in the 99th minute in back-to-back games has caught the attention of their head coach Reynald Pedros but while this is a cause for concern, they are also fully aware of their strengths. Their camaraderie on and off the pitch, the understanding that this is a historic moment for them as a team and nation as well as the fact that qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 in Brazil, could be life-changing.
“For me, Algeria are the best team at the WAFCON 2026. They play the best football in the tournament. Of course, we have been very offensive but we need to be strong in our defense. We need to be solid and mentally stronger. We need to score goals. We need to be vigilant and we will see. We have analysed Algeria’s matches. We have seen their matches and they have done the same for us. We shall impose our playing style in the game. It will be a difficult game and a very competitive match. Little details will count at the end of the day,” Pedros explains in detail.
Côte d’Ivoire captain Bernadette Amani Kakounan has vowed to continue making their fans back home proud. She explains, “I wish my country people a happy independence day and on behalf of my teammates, we are going to continue giving our best and making our country proud. We are feeling the pressure that comes with playing at this level but it is positive pressure. We are a young team and constantly remind ourselves that we are full of dreams.”
More than a game…
Brick by brick, Algeria are building patiently. One game at a time. A recent revamp in the last three years has seen them showcase the intent of a squad that wants to dominate the continent like never before. In the midst of that rebuilding is head coach Farid Benstiti.
“I keep being marvelled by what this team is doing. In the past three years, they have continued to grow. This is what I like about this team. So, for Reynald Pedros [the Côte d’Ivoire head coach] to say that we are the best team in the tournament, I take it as a compliment. He is my friend so we know each other very well and we respect each other. I don’t think that he is being hypocritical. That is very kind of him,” Benstiti says gratefully.
He continues, “I have players on my team whose parents swam across the sea to forge a new life [in Europe] so for us, representing our country – Algeria means a lot to us. We are proud of our motherland. These players are courageous and will do everything for the team. These are the ingredients that are important in high level football. Last year, we fell to Ghana in the quarterfinals and now we want to go past this level and qualify for the semifinals.”
This will be Algeria’s 11th WAFCON match against a West African nation having registered three wins, two draws and five defeats. The Fennecs have played Ghana four times, Nigeria three times, Mali twice and Senegal once. They are unbeaten in their last three WAFCON matches against West African teams, recording one win and two draws.
Goalkeeper N’Gazi, who has kept six clean sheets in Algeria’s last seven WAFCON matches, continues to be the leader of this squad on and off the pitch.
The graceful 30-year old custodian understands what is at stake for the North African outfit. A star at Montpellier in France, N’Gazi has slowly built her identity at the competition as not only a stalwart between the posts but also a leader who wants to write history for Algeria.
“For every game that we have played at the tournament, we have learnt something new about ourselves. In the first game [a 2-0 win over Senegal], we learnt that we can attack and go forward. These are things that we didn’t really do last year. In our second game [a 1-0 defeat to hosts Morocco], we learnt that we need to pay attention to even the smallest details. In the third game [a 2-0 win over Kenya], it was a mixture of the above. We conceded a couple of chances towards the end of the game so we learned that we need to stay locked in and focused until the end of the game,” N’Gazi points out passionately.
Against Côte d’Ivoire, Algeria will come up against a team that is relentless in waves of attacking transition and likes to dig deep into their physicality to produce an edge over their opponents. This matchup is expected to kickstart the business end of the tournament in fine fashion as both teams look for an automatic slot to the World Cup.
The Stat of the Day
Algeria will be the first North African team Côte d’Ivoire have faced at the WAFCON.