Hosts Morocco strengthened their position in Group A of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Algeria on Thursday night.
Sanaa Mssoudy scored the only goal of the match in the 84th minute as the Atlas Lionesses found a late breakthrough against a disciplined Algerian side.
Both teams had gone into the fixture with opening victories, Morocco having beaten Kenya 4-0 while Algeria defeated Senegal 2-0, making this one of the most important early matches in the group.
The result means Morocco have now taken six points from their first two matches and are in a strong position in the race for the quarter-finals.
For Algeria, it was a painful defeat after a compact and organised display that kept the hosts frustrated for long periods.
The match was physical and tactical, with both sides aware that a victory would place them in a commanding position in Group A.