After a heated pre-match atmosphere, during which the Algerian national anthem was booed loudly by the Moroccan crowd turned out in large numbers at the Prince Moulay Hassan Stadium - which, incidentally, was not a full house as previously announced - the match itself got off to a very tentative start.
Morocco dominated proceedings and launched a flurry of shots without ever managing to hit the target, whilst Algeria packed their defence in front of their goal and successfully cut out every cross.
The first shot on target came from Morgane Ikene, who accelerated down the right flank and fired in a long-range shot across goal, which Khadija Errmichi gathered in two attempts after controlling it with her chest (33rd minute).
Then tensions flared between the two sides: following a very borderline tackle by Belloumou on Sakina Ouzraoui as she was racing down the right flank - which earned her a yellow card (34th minute) - it was Hanane Ait El Haj’s turn to be shown a yellow card following a retaliatory tackle on Belloumou, who had committed a foul moments earlier (36th minute). In midfield, Kautar Azraf tried to make the difference with a lobbed pass to Ibtissam Jraidi, but the striker was flagged offside (43').
Mssoudy breaks the deadlock for Morocco
After the break, Algeria showed more initiative and twice broke into the Lionesses of the Atlas’s penalty area, notably forcing Errmichi into a fine save from Lynda Bendris, who was bearing down on goal (48th minute).
Morocco appealed for a penalty following a header duel from a corner, where Maryama Atiq smashed the ball towards two Algerian defenders, one of whom ended up touching it with her hand as she went in to clear. The referee waved play on (53'). From a long-range free-kick, Marine Dafeur hit the target but found the gloves of the Moroccan goalkeeper, who gathered the ball without faltering (68').
Azraf also took a fine free-kick from the centre of the pitch, lobbing the ball to find Jraidi making a run. It was well struck, but she failed to find enough support after a pull-back that went unchallenged (71st minute). Morocco’s biggest chance certainly fell to Sanaa Mssoudy, who threw herself forward to meet a fine free-kick from Ghizlane Chebbak - who had come on in the 70th minute - with a header from point-blank range. It was on target but saved by Chloe N’Gazi (76th minute).
In fact, it was her who put Morocco ahead less than 10 minutes later: following a Chebbak corner cleared by the Algerian defence, the ball fell to Elodie Nakkach, who played a superb lobbed pass to Mssoudy. She took advantage of the Algerian defence’s poor positioning to control the ball and fire home a crisp, low shot, 1–0 (86th minute).
A deserved result for Morocco, who had 11 shots - three on target - compared with Algeria’s three shots (two on target), and 0.75 xG to Algeria’s 0.07 xG. Morocco therefore take sole top spot in Group A with 6 points and a goal difference of +5, ahead of second-placed Algeria on 3 points and Senegal, also on 3 points, who beat Kenya 1-0 on Thursday.
Morocco are not yet definitively through to the quarter-finals, but it would take a major twist of fate for the runners-up from the last edition to be knocked out in the group stage. The Moroccan women will face Senegal on the final matchday, whilst Algeria will take on Kenya in a decisive final matchday to determine the top two places qualifying for the next round.