WAFCON: Harambee Starlets thrashed by Morocco in rude opener
Reading Time: 3min | Mon. 27.07.26. | 01:32
Jraidi was twice on target as the Atlas Lionesses tore apart a dazzled Kenya defense thanks to a first-half goal blitz
Kenya women’s national football team - Harambee Starlets - kicked off their 2026 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) on the wrong footing after being thrashed 4-0 by hosts Morocco at the Stade Prince Moulay Hassan Stadium in Rabat on Sunday, 26 July.
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Starlets, who were making only their second ever appearance at the competition since their debut in 2016, were no match for the dominant Atlas Lionesses, who put their lowly opponents to the sword.
After a solid opening 10 minutes, which saw Kenya threaten her opponents, even rattling the crossbar through Tereza Engesha, it was Jorge Vilda’s side that got its engines fired up when Sakina Ouzraoui got to the end of a flowing move from the Moroccans to tuck in a low opener in the 19th minute.
The goal, to which much credit was owed to Yasmin Mrabet for the assist, opened the floodgates for a three-goal blitz inside 13 minutes from the ladies in red, this as a dazzled Kenyan side struggled to calm things down in front of a sparse, but partisan crowd.
Just nine minutes after the opening goal, Morocco doubled their lead in the 28th minute through a well-worked corner, which defender Maryame Atiq connected well enough to drive a low header past a stumbling Lilian Awuor, who just could not get her footing right to get closer to the bouncing ball.
Things went further from good for Beldine Odemba’s side four minutes later, when Morocco again found easy inroads through a disorganized Kenyan defense.
Fed with a ball down the right-hand side, Moroccan defender Hanane Ait El Haj lifted a lovely ball to an unmarked Ibtissam Jraidi, who stretched herself to loop a header over Awuor, and give the hosts an unassailable 3-0 lead at halftime.
Once again on that goal, the Kenyan defense had been caught from a high cross into the box, and was not aware of their lines to catch the attackers offside.
Shortly after the break, Starlets were again remonstrating, as Morocco found an early goal inside the 47th minute, when Jraidi got a defining touch to a low cross from Ait El Haj, to get her brace, and a fourth goal for last tournament’s finalists.
With all signs pointing towards a humiliation, Starlets, who made three substitutions at halftime, were just able to stem the flow, providing slight window-dressing to the scoreline, but ending their opening game with an unforgiving result.
With Algeria beating Senegal 2-0 in the earlier Group A match, Starlets now find themselves bottom of the standings, and will at least need a perfect run in their remaining two pool matches to actualise their lofty bar of achieving a semifinal berth.
Their next match comes on Tuesday, 30 July (2000 EAT) against Senegal at the same 22,000-seater facility.