2026 WAFCON: Harambee Starlets suffer heavy loss to Morocco
By Luke Oluoch, July 27, 2026Harambee Starlets’ return to the Women’s African Cup of Nations stage panned out sourly following a chastening 4-0 loss to Morocco in the Group A opener on Sunday, July 26, 2026, at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat.
The host executed a clinical attacking display and precision delivery to sink the Kenyan courtesy of Ibtissam Jraïdi.
The attacker claimed the match’s individual performance with a stylish brace to compound matters for the Beldine Odemba team.
Kenya go 3-0 down
Sakina Ouzraoui broke the deadlock in the 19th minute, finding space to beat Kenyan custodian Lilian Awuor, and it proved the start of a difficult night for Kenya.
Meriem Atiq added the advantage at the half-hour mark, from a pinpoint cross, and matters went from bad to worse for the East Africans just before the break when the Atlas Lionesses went three-up to the good thanks to Jraidi’s first goal in the match.
The sleek host ended the tie as a contest a couple of minutes after the restart, with Jraidi adding her second and Morocco’s fourth to put the game beyond Kenya’s reach.
Martha Amunyolete proved to be Kenya’s most dangerous long-range threat. The attacking midfielder had a clear opening scoring chance in the fifth minute when her powerful distance strike rattled off the post.
Eglay Mukhwana also looked lively in open play and, most notably, fashioned a dangerous 24th-minute cut-back that barely missed a finishing connection.
Dented confidence
A night of football lessons concluded with Kenya shipping in four goals without a response, a result that surely dented the girls’ confidence ahead of their second preliminary game against Senegal.
Kenya, in only their second appearance, will need to avoid defeat against the West Africans to avoid early elimination from the tournament. A group elimination will compound a similar group stage fate that the girls crashed to in their debut appearance in the competition ten years ago.
Starlets are now sitting at the bottom of the group in 4th place on goal difference, ranked just below Senegal, who also fell to Algeria in a 2-0 scoreline.
The West Africans got a strong opening to their tournament, with Captain Marine Dafeur breaking the deadlock from the penalty spot before Melissa Bethi wrapped up the victory late on.
The 17th edition of the women’s competition also serves as a qualifier for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with the four semi-finalists earning places in Brazil.