AWCON 2026: Algeria Dominates South Sudan (5-0)

AWCON 2026: Algeria Dominates South Sudan (Photo Credit: al24news)

JUBA - The Algeria women's national football team delivered a commanding performance against South Sudan, securing a decisive 5-0 victory (half-time: 2-0) on Wednesday afternoon at the national stadium in Juba. This match marked the first leg of the qualifiers for the 16th edition of the Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) 2026.

The Algerian team, known as "Les Vertes" (The Greens), dominated the match from start to finish, with Laura Taleb opening the scoring in the 19th minute. They doubled their lead shortly before half-time through Léa Abadou in the 41st minute.

In the second half, the Algerians continued to assert their dominance, adding three more goals. Naïma Bouhani found the net in the 49th minute, followed by Ghoutia Habiba Karchouni in the 56th minute. Abadou capped off the offensive display with her second goal in the 86th minute, completing a stunning performance.

Under the guidance of coach Farid Benstiti, the players will return to Algeria on Friday, February 21, to begin preparations for the return leg set for Tuesday, February 25, at the Mustapha Tchaker Stadium in Blida, kicking off at 19:00.

With this nearly qualifying win, the national team is set to face the formidable Cameroon side in the second and final qualifying round. The first leg will be played at home.

The two legs are scheduled between October 20 and 28, 2025. A total of 38 African teams have entered the qualifiers for the 2026 AWCON, with six nations exempt from the first round: South Africa, Zambia, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, and Ivory Coast.

The 15th edition of the AWCON, originally planned for 2024, will now take place from July 5 to 26, 2025. This victory marks Algeria's return to the continental stage after missing the last two tournaments.

Algeria secured their spot in the final phase of AWCON 2024 back in December 2023, defeating Burundi over two legs: 5-1 and 1-0, both held at the Olympic Stadium of July 5 in Algiers.

In the upcoming AWCON final, the "Greens" will compete in Group B alongside Nigeria, Tunisia, and Botswana.

Source: https://www.footboom1.com/en/news/football/2387115-awcon-2026-algeria-dominates-south-sudan-5-0