HARAMBEE STARLETS’ WAFCON RETURN ENDS IN 4-0 LOSS TO HOSTS MOROCCO
Kenya’s Harambee Starlets were given a harsh reminder of WAFCON football as they fell 4-0 to hosts Morocco in their opening Group A match at Stade Prince Moulay Hassan in Rabat on Sunday.
It was Kenya’s first appearance at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 10 years, and the early signs were promising. Tereza Engesha almost stunned the home crowd inside 10 minutes when her strike crashed against the crossbar.
But the Atlas Lionesses quickly took control.
Sakina Ouzraoui opened the scoring in the 19th minute after latching onto a through ball from Yasmin Mrabet. Maryame Atiq then doubled the lead in the 28th minute with a towering header from a corner.
Morocco put the game to bed before halftime. Ibtissam Jraidi scored the first of her two goals in the 32nd minute, heading in from a Hanane Ait El Haj cross. Jraidi completed her brace just after the restart in the 47th minute, tapping in another low cross from Ait El Haj.
Coach Beldine Odemba made changes to tighten things up, and Kenya defended better in the second half to avoid further damage.
WHERE IT LEAVES KENYA
The defeat leaves the Starlets bottom of Group A. Algeria’s 2-0 win over Senegal in the other match means Kenya must now get a result against Senegal on Thursday to keep knockout hopes alive. Their final group game is against Algeria.
Despite the scoreline, there were positives. The Starlets showed early attacking intent and this squad is built largely around players from the 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup team – a clear sign of Kenya’s long-term plan.
Morocco, runners-up in 2022 and 2024, looked every bit like title contenders backed by a home crowd.
Kenya’s next test: Senegal, Thursday. A must-win if the dream of reaching the knockouts is to stay alive.