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Morocco turns its opening match against Kenya into a statement that shakes up the WAFCON
The Atlas Lionesses began their journey against Kenya with a performance that electrified Rabat from the first half and sent a powerful message to the rest of Group A.
Morocco shakes up the WAFCON
The hosts defeated Kenya 4-0 at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium and moved to the top of Group A.
Backed by their supporters and fully aware of the expectations surrounding their participation in the tournament, the Atlas Lionesses did not take long to turn their dominance into goals.
A burst that completely changed the match
Kenya tried to contain the home side’s early momentum, but Morocco began to find space and opened the scoring in the 19th minute.
Sakina Ouzraoui Diki scored the first goal of the night, easing the tension inside a stadium that had been eagerly awaiting the hosts’ opening match.
In the 28th minute, Maryame Atiq appeared to score the second goal and put the match firmly in Morocco’s favor.
Kenya had barely begun to recover when it suffered another blow.
Just four minutes later, Ibtissam Jraïdi joined the celebrations and made it 3-0 before halftime, completing a burst of three goals in only 13 minutes.
Jraïdi adds the finishing touch
The halftime break did not change the course of the match.
Morocco returned to the field with the same intensity and needed only two minutes to punish Kenya once again.
Jraïdi struck again in the 47th minute to complete her brace and seal the final 4-0 scoreline.
With such a commanding lead, the hosts controlled the remainder of the match without allowing Kenya to produce a response capable of threatening their goal.
Morocco moves to the top of Group A
The emphatic victory allowed Morocco to begin the tournament with three points and take first place in Group A on goal difference.
Algeria, which had previously defeated Senegal 2-0, sits in second place with the same number of points. Senegal and Kenya remain without a point after the opening round.
The two winning teams will face each other next Thursday in a match that could begin to shape the group standings.
