There was a real sense of purpose about Morocco from the very first whistle at Rabat’s Moulay El Hassan Stadium – and by full-time, they’d sent out a clear message to everyone in Group A: they mean business at this year’s TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Hosts Morocco ran out comfortable 4–0 winners over Kenya, taking charge of the game early and never letting go. Sakina Ouzraoui set the ball rolling just past the 20-minute mark, firing home to get the crowd on their feet.
Before half-time, the lead had grown to three – Meriem Atiq powered a header in from a well-worked corner, then Ibtissam Jraidi nodded home right on the stroke of the break to leave Kenya with a mountain to climb.
Any hopes of a comeback were extinguished almost immediately after the restart: barely two minutes into the second half, Jraidi struck again, grabbing her second of the afternoon and putting the result well beyond doubt.
For Kenya, this was their first appearance at the tournament in a decade – a moment to savour in itself, even if the day didn’t go to plan. They came up against a side with plenty of pedigree, two-time runners-up who looked sharp, organised and hungry from start to finish.
Elsewhere in the group, Algeria also got off to a winning start, beating Senegal 2–0 – meaning Morocco sit top of the pile on goal difference, with Algeria close behind, and Kenya and Senegal still searching for their first points.
Speaking after the match, Kenya boss Beldine Odemba was honest but upbeat: “We know we have areas to improve, and we will get to work on them straight away. There is still everything to play for.”
Morocco’s Jorge Vilda was full of praise for his team’s focus: “We controlled the game well, took our chances and stayed disciplined. It’s a very satisfying start, but we know the hardest tests are still to come.”
Next up for Morocco is a mouth-watering clash with North African rivals Algeria, while Kenya will dust themselves down and prepare to take on Senegal – two games that will shape how this group unfolds.
