Harambee Starlets Outclassed by Hosts Morocco in WAFCON 2026 Opener

By Monyonge Kebati

Harambee Starlets suffered a difficult start to their 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) campaign after falling 4-0 to tournament hosts Morocco in their Group A opening match on Sunday.

Playing before a packed home crowd at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, the Atlas Lionesses controlled proceedings from the opening whistle, using their pace, possession and attacking quality to overwhelm the Kenyan side.

Morocco capitalized on several scoring opportunities to secure a convincing victory, while the Harambee Starlets struggled to create clear-cut chances against a well-organized Moroccan defense.

Despite the heavy defeat, Kenya’s players continued to fight throughout the match, with goalkeeper and defenders making several crucial interventions to prevent an even bigger scoreline.

The result leaves the Starlets with no points after their opening fixture and facing a must-win situation in their next Group A encounter against Senegal. A positive result will be vital if Kenya is to keep alive its hopes of progressing to the knockout stage.

Head coach Beldine Odemba is to regroup her squad and address the defensive lapses exposed by the hosts while seeking improvements in attack ahead of the crucial clash.

Morocco, one of the tournament favorites, strengthened their position at the top of Group A with an impressive performance that underlined their ambitions of lifting the continental title on home soil.

The Harambee Starlets, making another appearance on Africa’s biggest women’s football stage, will now shift focus to their upcoming fixtures as they look to bounce back and revive their WAFCON campaign.