2026 WAFCON: Hosts Morocco thrash Kenya 4-0 to top Group A

Hosts Morocco got off on a winning note thrashing their East African opponent Harambee Starlets of Kenya 4-0 to go top of Group A.

 

Morocco now top Group A on goals difference having scored more goals than their fellow North African Algeria. Both teams are on three points.

 

 

The hosts defeated Kenya with goals from Sakina Ouzraoui in the 19th minute, followed by Maryame Atiq Ez-Zity goal in the 28th minute.

 

 

Ibtissam Jraïdi brace in the 32 and 47 minutes ensured the Harambee Starlets continued their search for a first ever clean sheet on the continent.

 

 

The Moroccan have got their 2026 TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) to a promising note after finishing second behind Nigeria on home soil in the 2024 edition.

 

 

For Beldine Odemba, the Harambee Starlets coach, who is a former international and holds a CAF A coaching license – it was the first-ever match against a host nation at the WAFCON.

 

 

The Harambee Starlets were hoping to score their first-ever points in the competition, having never managed to keep a clean sheet in the final stages of a continental tournament.

 

 

Kenya arrives in Morocco after a decade long absence from continental tournament, with no timidity, determined to erase the memory of 2016 when the country suffered three defeats in three matches during their first appearance.

 

 

But, that determination was dimmed in the 19th minutes after host Morocco broke the Harambee Starlets’ defense for Morocco’s first goal of the night.

 

 

The squad built on the promising generation that competed in the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup 2024 in the Dominican Republic, was unable to keep pace with the Moroccan attack on the night.

 

 

Both teams had earlier held a press conference before the match at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, which highlighted the high standards of the two-time African runners-up and the return of the Harambee Starlets after a 10-year absence.

 

 

When asked about their status as favourites and the pressure inherent in playing at home for the third consecutive edition, both national coach Jorge Vilda and captain Ghislaine Chebbak, dismissed the idea of it being a burden.

 

“Playing at home, in front of our fans and families, will never be a negative. We do not feel that pressure.

 

“If anything, we feel the illusion and the excitement of showcasing our football,” said Vilda, who led Spain to victory in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

 

In the other Group A match played on  Saturday evening in Rabat, Algeria beat Senegal 2-0 in the opening match of the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Morocco 2026.