Morocco sent an early warning to their WAFCON 2026 rivals with a ruthless 4-0 demolition of Kenya in front of their home crowd at the Prince Moulay Hassan Stadium on Sunday.
The Atlas Lionesses came flying out of the blocks and never looked back, tearing through the Harambee Starlets to race into a three-goal lead before half-time before adding a fourth within two minutes of the restart.
Sanae Ouzraoui broke the deadlock in the 19th minute, finishing off a move involving Yasmine Mrabet to give the hosts the perfect start.
Mariam Atiq doubled Morocco’s advantage nine minutes later before Ibtissam Jraidi struck in the 32nd minute, turning the game into a rout before the interval.
And Jraidi was not finished.
The forward grabbed her second just two minutes after the restart, once again benefiting from the creativity of Hanane Ait El Haj to complete a commanding individual performance and cap a devastating opening for the hosts.
Morocco’s dominance was reflected in the numbers. They controlled around 67% of possession, created the bulk of the chances and suffocated Kenya with an intense high press that gave the visitors little room to breathe.
For Kenya, it was a harsh return to the continental stage. The Harambee Starlets are competing at the WAFCON finals for only the second time, having waited a decade for another appearance, but found themselves overwhelmed by a Morocco side determined to make a statement on home soil.
The victory sends Jorge Vilda’s side straight to the top of Group A, with Algeria also making a winning start after beating Senegal 2-0 earlier in the day.
Kenya’s task now becomes considerably tougher. Beldine Odemba’s side must regroup quickly with Senegal and Algeria still standing between them and a place in the knockout stages.
Morocco, meanwhile, could hardly have asked for a better opening.
With the expanded 16-team tournament running until 16 August and also serving as a route towards qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the hosts have laid down an early marker.
If this performance is anything to go by, Morocco are not simply here to host the tournament.
They are here to win it