Morocco, Algeria reach WAFCON semi-finals and World Cup

Johannesburg, South Africa: A triumphant night for North Africa ended on Saturday with hosts Morocco and Algeria reaching the Women's Africa of Nations (WAFCON) semi-finals and the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.

They took contrasting paths to quarter-finals success as Morocco built a two-goal lead, then defended resolutely against South Africa for a 2-1 victory in Rabat. mchezo.co.za

Algeria fell behind against the Ivory Coast in Casablanca, then took advantage of their opponents having a player sent off to score twice and emerge 2-1 winners.

In the semi-finals on Wednesday, Morocco will face defending champions Nigeria or Cameroon while Algeria tackle Ghana or giant killers Malawi.

No north African nation has won the marquee African women's football tournament, which has been dominated by Nigeria with 10 titles.

The only other countries to became WAFCON champions since its debut in 1998 were Equatorial Guinea twice and South Africa once.

Morocco, runners-up to South Africa four years ago, led after 31 minutes thanks to a second goal of the tournament from Sakina Ouzraoui.

Hanane Ait El Haj increased the lead six minutes into the second half by converting a penalty. South African star Thembi Kgatlana then netted on 67 minutes to set up a tense finish.

In Casablanca, Ines Konan put the Ivorians ahead on 29 minutes, but they were reduced to 10 players before half-time when teenager N'Sira Ouedraogo was sent off.

Algeria struck twice within six minutes just before and after the hour mark through substitute Ines Khiri and Amira Braham to turn the match in their favour.

Between the Algerian goals, Ivory Coast squandered a chance to regain the lead when Rebecca Elloh struck the post from a penalty.

The red-carding of 18-year-old Ouedraogo, for kicking Algeria goalkeeper Chloe N'Gazi in the face, proved pivotal as her team lost the ascendancy they established during the opening half.

After barely threatening to score during the first 45 minutes, Algeria took control after the break and created enough chances to have won more decisively.

HEALTHY RUNNERS GET FASTER

The story of how Izzi Batt-Doyle turned seven stress fractures into one
of Australia's greatest comeback stories.

Meet Izzi Batt-Doyle

If you've followed Australian distance running over the last few years,
chances are you've heard the name Izzi Batt-Doyle.

Two-time Olympian

Australian Half Marathon Record Holder

Gold Coast Half Marathon Champion

Sunshine Coast Half Marathon Champion

Today, Izzi is one of Australia's fastest distance runners. But getting
here wasn't easy. And over the past month alone, she has continued one
of the best stretches of racing in her career winning the Gold Coast
Half Marathon in 1:07:29, the fastest half marathon ever run by an
Australian woman on Australian soil, before following it up just weeks
later with another victory at the Sunshine Coast Half Marathon in
1:08:49.

Looking at those results, it's easy to assume the difference is simply
talent. But that isn't the story. The real story began years earlier.

SEVEN STRESS FRACTURES CHANGED EVERYTHING

Before becoming one of Australia's fastest runners, Izzi battled 7
stress fractures in her feet. Bone stress injuries are some of the most
frustrating setbacks a runner can experience. They don't just stop you
from racing they stop you from doing the one thing that makes you
better: running.

Like many runners, Izzi faced the same question countless injured
athletes ask themselves:

"How do I maintain my fitness without continuing to overload my body?"

During college she had access to resources that many runners never do.

- She spent hours aqua jogging.

- She trained on the elliptical.

- Medical professionals.

- She relied heavily on her university's AlterG treadmill, allowing her
to continue running while reducing the impact on healing bones.

Those tools kept her aerobic engine alive while her body recovered.

But after graduation, those resources were no longer available. The
challenge became finding a practical way to manage training load while
continuing to run not just during injuries, but as part of an elite
training program built on consistency.

WHY RECOVERY ISN'T JUST FOR INJURED RUNNERS

One of the biggest misconceptions in running is that reducing impact is
only useful when you're hurt. Elite runners think differently. Recovery
isn't a break from training. Recovery is training. The goal isn't to
avoid hard work. The goal is to recover well enough that tomorrow's
workout can be just as productive as today's.

Every unnecessary day missed because of soreness, fatigue, or injury is
a day of fitness that can't be built. That's why many of the world's
best runners are becoming more intentional about managing load not
because they're injured, but because they want to stay healthy enough to
continue improving.

A TOOL IZZI WISHES SHE'D HAD EARLIER

Today, LEVER has become one of the tools Izzi uses to help manage that
training load. Whether she's recovering after a marathon, adding easy
aerobic volume, or simply reducing impact during higher mileage weeks,
LEVER allows her to continue running while placing less stress on her
body.

As Izzi shared:

- "A tool I wish I'd had during my stress fracture days."

- "The LEVER makes it easy to reduce impact while continuing to run,
whether you're returning from injury, recovering from a marathon, or
simply looking to train smarter."

- "The goal is always the same: get to the start line healthy and
ready."

That last sentence may be the most important. Because every runner from
first-time 5K participants to Olympians is chasing the same goal. To
arrive healthy.

WHAT EVERY RUNNER CAN LEARN

You don't need to run 100-mile weeks to benefit from training smarter.
Whether you're preparing for your first marathon or trying to set a new
personal best, your body only adapts when it has the opportunity to
recover.

Here are three ways runners are using LEVER to make that happen.

1. Extend Your Running Career

Many runners don't stop because they lose motivation. They stop because
repeated injuries make consistent training impossible. Reducing impact
on selected runs can help decrease the cumulative stress placed on
bones, tendons, muscles, and joints over months of training.

Sometimes staying healthy is the fastest path to getting faster.

2. RECOVER WITHOUT LOSING FITNESS

After a marathon or demanding workout, your body still benefits from
movement. Instead of replacing running with cross-training, LEVER allows
you to continue running with less mechanical loading while maintaining
your natural stride.

- You keep moving.

- You keep adapting.

- You recover faster for the next quality session.

3. BUILD MORE AEROBIC VOLUME

Running economy improves through repetition. But every mile also adds
stress to your body. LEVER allows runners to increase aerobic work while
reducing impact, making it easier to build volume without asking the
body to absorb the full load every single day.

More quality training. Less unnecessary pounding.

CONSISTENCY IS THE REAL PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGE

Izzi's recent performances weren't built in one month. They were built
over years of making the right decision, over and over again.

Recovering when it mattered. Reducing impact when needed. Protecting
long-term health instead of chasing short-term mileage.

The fastest runners aren't always the ones who train the hardest.
They're the ones who stay healthy enough to keep training. That's the
lesson behind Izzi's journey. And it's the opportunity every runner has
to train smarter, stay consistent, and arrive at the start line healthy
and ready.

SHOP LEVER

When we designed our V8 TT + Tri saddle, we paid special attention to 3 areas of the saddle's design to relieve soft tissue pressure, support the pelvic bones, and prevent thigh rubbing.

1. Channel Width: The V8's channel width provides ample soft tissue relief, whether riding on the nose or upright towards the rear.

2. Nose Width: The V8's nose width supports the pelvic bones - it’s not so narrow that the nose sits between these bones and increases soft tissue pressure & discomfort, and not so wide as to rub & chafe the inner thighs.

3. Transition: The V8's transition from rear to nose quickly tapers to get the saddle out of the way to maximize thigh clearance and reduce the likelihood of thigh rub and chafing.

Take a look at our side by side comparison to other TT + Tri saddles to visually inspect how we paid attention to these 3 key areas. (nose widths measured at the furthest point forward that the rider can sit on the saddle - saddles with rounded noses are measured further back for this reason)

Saddles Compared: Wove V8 • ISM PN 3.0 • Bontrager Hilo Pro • Gebiomized Stride • Dash Stage Narrow • Dash Strike