The South African senior women’s national team will face the North Africans on Tuesday, 14 April and Friday, 17 April, with the venue yet to be announced. These fixtures follow closely after the announcement of another high-profile international friendly against Japan scheduled for June.
The upcoming matches form part of head coach Dr Desiree Ellis’ preparations for the 2026 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). Earlier this month, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed that the tournament has been rescheduled and will now run from 25 July to 16 August 2026.
With the continental showpiece postponed, Dr Ellis emphasised the importance of maintaining momentum through competitive fixtures against strong opposition.
“Our last friendly was against North African opponents Morocco, and Algeria present a similar but distinct challenge. They are a physical side, but also very effective on the counter-attack,” said Ellis.
“They will test us in different ways, and as we build towards WAFCON, it’s crucial that we expose ourselves to a variety of playing styles so we can adapt during the tournament.”
South Africa have been drawn in Group B alongside Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Tanzania. Algeria, meanwhile, will compete in Group A with Morocco, Senegal and Kenya.
Dr Ellis has named a 24-player squad for the upcoming fixtures, largely retaining the core group that recently featured in the COSAFA Women’s Championship camp. However, Sibulele Holweni, Bongeka Gamede, Thembi Kgatlana and Jessica Wade were not considered due to medical reasons.
The squad will assemble for camp on Monday, 6 April, before travelling to Durban for the matches.