MATCH STATS: Morocco face South Africa in TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON Morocco 2026 quarter-final
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Morocco and South Africa meet in a TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 quarter-final at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat on Saturday, 8 August. Kick-off is at 21h00 local time (20h00 GMT/22h00 CAT), with the winners advancing to the semi-finals and securing automatic qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027.
MATCH FACTS
• This will be a repeat of the 2022 WAFCON final, when South Africa defeated hosts Morocco to claim their first continental title.
• Both nations reached the round of 16 at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023.
• Victory would send Morocco to their second FIFA Women’s World Cup, following their debut in 2023.
• A win would secure South Africa’s third FIFA Women’s World Cup appearance after they featured in 2019 and 2023.
• The nations’ only previous WAFCON meeting was the 2022 final, which South Africa won 2-1 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on 23 July 2022.
• Hildah Magaia scored twice, in the 63rd and 71st minutes, before Rosella Ayane ensured a nervy finish with an 80th-minute goal for Morocco.
• Banyana Banyana had lost five previous finals before being crowned African champions for the first time in 2022.
• South Africa coach Desiree Ellis lost her first final in charge of Banyana Banyana in 2018 before winning her second in 2022. Morocco coach Jorge Vilda will hope to go one better after leading the hosts to the final at the previous edition.
• This will be South Africa’s eighth WAFCON match against a tournament host. Their only victory in the previous seven was against Morocco in the 2022 final, while they lost the other six.
• South Africa failed to score in five of their seven previous matches against host nations. Their only goals came in the 2-1 defeat to Equatorial Guinea in the 2008 final and the 2-1 victory over Morocco in the 2022 decider.
• South Africa have never kept a clean sheet in seven previous WAFCON matches against tournament hosts.
• South Africa have faced host nations four times in the knockout rounds. They lost 5-0 to Nigeria in the 2002 semi-finals and were beaten by Equatorial Guinea in the 2008 and 2012 finals before defeating Morocco in the 2022 final.
MOROCCO
• Morocco have reached the knockout rounds for a third successive edition.
• As hosts, Morocco have progressed to the knockout rounds in all three of their WAFCON tournaments.
• They are aiming to reach the semi-finals for the third time.
• Morocco have won both of their previous WAFCON quarter-finals, in 2022 and 2024.
• They won their opening two group matches against Kenya and Algeria before drawing 0-0 with Senegal.
• Morocco defeated Botswana 2-1 in the 2022 quarter-finals. Sanaa Mssoudy scored in the third minute before Keitumetse Dithebe equalised four minutes later, with Yasmin Mrabet netting the winner in the 53rd minute.
• At the previous edition, they overcame Mali 3-1 through an Ibtissam Jraidi brace and a late goal from Kenza Chapelle. Aïssata Traoré scored Mali’s consolation in second-half stoppage time.
• Morocco won both of their previous quarter-finals inside 90 minutes.
• Including penalty shoot-outs, Morocco had converted 15 successive penalties at the WAFCON before Mrabet had her spot-kick saved against Senegal.
• They had converted their previous six in-match penalties before Mrabet’s miss.
• Mrabet had scored both of her previous WAFCON penalties, against DR Congo and Senegal in the group stage of the 2024 edition.
• She had previously converted against Senegal goalkeeper Adji Ndiaye, who saved her penalty at the current tournament.
• Morocco have won both of their previous WAFCON penalty shoot-outs.
• Their two shoot-outs are also the only WAFCON matches in which they have played extra time. Following 1-1 draws, they defeated Nigeria 5-4 on penalties in the 2022 semi-finals and Ghana 4-2 at the same stage of the 2024 edition.
• Morocco have played six knockout matches at the WAFCON, recording two victories in open play and two on penalties, with two defeats.
• Both defeats came in finals, against South Africa in 2022 and Nigeria at the 2024 edition.
• They have scored and conceded in each of their six knockout matches.
• Morocco remain unbeaten in direct knockout matches before the final, progressing through all four of their quarter-finals and semi-finals with two victories in open play and two on penalties.
• This is the second time Morocco have reached the knockout rounds under Vilda, who led them to the final at the previous edition.
• Morocco have lost only one of their nine WAFCON matches under Vilda, recording five wins and three draws. Their only defeat was against Nigeria in the 2024 final.
• They conceded in five of their six matches at the previous edition but have kept three clean sheets at the current finals.
• This is the first time Morocco have completed a WAFCON group stage without conceding.
• They have gone 271 minutes without conceding. The last goal they allowed was Jennifer Echegini’s winner for Nigeria in their 3-2 defeat in the 2024 final.
• Their three clean sheets are their most at a single edition, surpassing the two they managed in 2022.
• Morocco had scored in 14 successive WAFCON matches before their goalless draw with Senegal. That sequence included all six of their matches in 2022 and 2024, as well as their opening two games at the current finals.
• Before the Senegal draw, their previous failure to score at the tournament was a 3-0 defeat to Ghana in their final group match in 2000.
• The draw against Senegal was only Morocco’s second goalless WAFCON match and their first since a 0-0 stalemate with DR Congo in 2000. It was their 21st match at the finals.
• Their previous 17 matches at the tournament had all produced at least one goal.
• The Senegal draw was the first time Morocco had failed to score as WAFCON hosts, in their 15th home tournament match.
• Morocco attempted seven shots on target without scoring against Senegal, their most on record in a WAFCON match in which they failed to find the net.
• Ghizlane Chebbak made her first start of the current edition against Senegal and had a match-high 77 touches.
• Chebbak also produced four key passes and completed a match-high 19 passes in the final third.
• Khadija Er-Rmichi made three saves against Senegal to keep her third clean sheet of the current edition and sixth overall at the WAFCON. It was her 15th appearance at the finals.
SOUTH AFRICA
• South Africa have reached their third WAFCON quarter-final, following previous appearances at this stage in 2022 and 2024.
• They are seeking a 12th semi-final appearance and a 10th in succession.
• South Africa have reached the last four at every edition since their group-stage elimination in 2004.
• They have progressed to the knockout rounds at every tournament under Ellis, starting in 2016.
• Banyana Banyana reached at least the semi-finals in each of the four previous editions under Ellis.
• South Africa defeated Tunisia 1-0 in the 2022 quarter-finals, with Jermaine Seoposenwescoring the winner in the 14th minute.
• They overcame Senegal in the 2024 quarter-finals, winning 4-1 on penalties following a 0-0 draw.
• South Africa had gone five matches without a victory in open play before defeating Burkina Faso in their final group match.
• That sequence included their final three matches at the 2024 edition and their opening two games at the current finals.
• South Africa had conceded in four successive matches before keeping a clean sheet in their 1-0 victory over Burkina Faso. Their previous clean sheet came in the goalless quarter-final against Senegal at the previous edition.
• South Africa have not won any of their last three knockout matches in open play. Their most recent such victory was the 2-1 win over Morocco in the 2022 final.
• Under Ellis, South Africa’s WAFCON knockout record is 10 matches, four wins, three draws and three defeats.
• The three draws under Ellis resulted in penalty shoot-outs. South Africa lost to Nigeria in the 2018 final and Ghana in the 2024 third-place play-off, but defeated Senegal in the 2024 quarter-finals.
• The current edition was the fifth time South Africa had failed to win either of their opening two group matches at a WAFCON.
• It was the third time, after 2014 and 2016, that they recovered from failing to win their opening two matches to reach the knockout rounds.
• In 2014, South Africa began with a defeat and a draw, while they opened with a draw and a loss in 2016 before winning their third group match on both occasions.
• They have won their final group match at three successive editions.
• South Africa are unbeaten in their final group match across their last eight tournament appearances, recording seven wins and one draw.
• Banyana Banyana have reached at least the semi-finals in their last nine tournament appearances. During that run, they were champions in 2022, runners-up in 2008, 2012 and 2018, third in 2006 and 2010, and fourth in 2014, 2016 and 2024.
• South Africa have been involved in four WAFCON penalty shoot-outs, winning two and losing two.
• They lost the 2018 final against Nigeria after a 0-0 draw and the 2024 third-place play-off against Ghana following a 1-1 stalemate.
• Their shoot-out victories came in the 2006 third-place play-off against Cameroon, following a 2-2 draw, and the 2024 quarter-final against Senegal after a goalless match.
• Thembi Kgatlana scored the only goal in the victory over Burkina Faso. It was her eighth WAFCON goal and her second at the current edition.
• Kgatlana has scored in South Africa’s last two matches. She previously found the net in three successive games at the 2018 edition, scoring in all three group matches.
• Her eight WAFCON goals have come across seven matches, with South Africa recording six wins and one draw when she has scored.
• Kgatlana’s goal was South Africa’s only shot on target against Burkina Faso.
• The only match South Africa have not won when Kgatlana has scored was the 2-2 draw with Côte d’Ivoire at the current edition.
• Fikile Magama registered her first assist of the tournament when she set up Kgatlana’swinner against Burkina Faso.
• South Africa completed 250 passes in the victory, with Bambanani Mbane’s 41 the most by any player.
• Mbane also won a match-high 12 duels.