Harambee Starlets opened their 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) campaign with a 4-0 defeat to hosts Morocco in their Group A opener at Stade Prince Moulay Hassan in Rabat on Sunday.

Morocco produced a dominant display to secure all three points, scoring twice in each half to hand Kenya a difficult start to the continental tournament. The hosts broke the deadlock in the 19th minute through Sakina Ouzraoui Diki, who finished off a well-worked move after Morocco had controlled possession during the opening stages of the match.

Morocco doubled their advantage nine minutes later when Maryame Atiq found the back of the net, giving the home side a comfortable lead before the half-hour mark. Forward Ibtissam Jraidi extended Morocco’s lead in the 31st minute, before adding her second goal just two minutes into the second half to complete a convincing 4-0 victory.

The result leaves Kenya without a point after the opening round of Group A matches, while Morocco moves to the top of the standings alongside Algeria, who defeated Senegal 2-0 in the group’s other fixture.

In its match report, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) described Morocco’s performance as a commanding start to the tournament, saying the hosts “made an immediate statement” with an emphatic victory over Kenya.

CAF noted that Morocco controlled large periods of the match, converted their chances efficiently and maintained defensive discipline to deny Kenya clear scoring opportunities throughout the contest.

The defeat marks a challenging return to WAFCON for Harambee Starlets, who qualified for the tournament after successfully navigating the qualification campaign. Kenya is competing in the continental finals against some of Africa’s highest-ranked women’s national teams and is seeking to progress beyond the group stage.

Despite the setback, Kenya still has two group matches remaining. The Starlets will next face Senegal, a fixture that is expected to play a significant role in determining their chances of advancing to the quarter-finals. They will then conclude their Group A campaign against Algeria.

Under the tournament format, the top two teams in each group, together with the two best third-placed teams across the groups, advance to the knockout stage.

For Kenya, improving both its defensive organization and attacking efficiency will be key in the remaining fixtures after conceding four goals without reply in its opening match.

The result gives Morocco an early advantage in Group A as the tournament hosts continue their bid for a first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title, while Harambee Starlets will look to recover quickly and secure points in their remaining group-stage matches to keep their qualification hopes alive.