Algeria wins in Morocco, APS makes the country disappear
Algeria secured a historic qualification for the semifinals of the Women’s AFCON and for the 2027 World Cup on Saturday. In its dispatch devoted to this achievement, the official APS news agency nevertheless omits one detail: the victory was achieved in Casablanca, Morocco.
The Algerian women came from behind to defeat Côte d’Ivoire (2-1) on Saturday, August 8, in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Women’s AFCON. Trailing at halftime, they managed to turn the match around and secure, for the first time in their history, a place in the competition’s final four as well as a ticket to a World Cup.
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In its dispatch published after the match, Algérie Presse Service (APS) emphasizes this double historic qualification. The official agency writes that Algeria defeated Côte d’Ivoire “on Saturday at the conclusion of the competition’s first quarterfinal.”
But neither the city, nor the stadium, nor even the country where the match took place is mentioned.
The quarterfinal was nevertheless played at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca. The Confederation of African Football had scheduled the match at this venue, and the Algerian Football Federation itself indicated, both before and after the match, that the Algerian women were playing in Casablanca.
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The omission is all the more striking because the 2026 Women’s AFCON is being held in Morocco. In its report on the qualification, APS therefore does not mention the words “Morocco,” “Casablanca,” or “Moulay Rachid” at any point.
