Morocco vs Kenya: Preview, Team News, Where to Watch and Prediction as Harambee Starlets Kick Off WAFCON 2026

Harambee Starlets begin their 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a tough game against co-hosts Morocco on Sunday night.

Kenya are making a return to WAFCON for the second time since their debut in 2016 and looking to do better than then when they exited at the group stage after losing all their three games.

Beldine Odemba’s charges would not have wished for a tough tournament opener as they will square it out with the host nation in front of a partisan crowd at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat before matches against Senegal and Algeria follow.

Starlets punched their ticket to the 2026 WAFCON with a convincing 4-1 aggregate victory over the Gambia.

Kenya's qualification journey began with a hard-fought 1-0 aggregate win against Tunisia. They followed this with a standout performance against the Gambia. In the first leg at Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium, the Starlets rallied from an early deficit to secure a crucial 3-1 victory.

The team sealed their qualification in the return leg, played in Senegal. Captain Mwanalima Adam Jereko scored the decisive goal in a 1-0 win, cementing the 4-1 aggregate triumph and sparking celebrations for Kenyan women's football.

Kenya’s work is cut out on Sunday as they face a rising force in women's football with the Moroccans coming into the tournament on the back of a nine-match unbeaten streak across all competitions. In six of their last nine games, Morocco have won by a margin of two or more goals. Kenya, meanwhile, have failed to secure a victory in six of their last eight international matches.

The two nations have met only once before, in a 2025 friendly that saw Morocco cruise to a commanding 5-1 victory.

Having established themselves as a major contender in African women's football, Morocco will be determined to go one step further this year. After reaching the final in the last two WAFCON tournaments, the host nation is under pressure to finally lift the trophy.

Their preparation for the tournament has been impressive, culminating in a 5-0 thrashing of Cape Verde in their final warm-up match on Tuesday. This result highlights their attacking prowess, as they have consistently secured one-sided victories, winning by at least two goals in six of their last nine outings.

Kenya comes into the tournament with limited experience at this elite level. Their only previous WAFCON appearance was in 2016, where they were eliminated in the group stage.

Despite this, Starlets will draw some confidence from their most recent result, a 6-0 friendly win over Lesotho in June. However, that victory is an outlier in an otherwise unconvincing run of form. Kenya have been winless in six of their last eight matches, a sequence that includes four defeats.

The match will kick off at 11pm (East African time) and will be live and free on KBC TV. Pay TV channels that will broadcast the match live in Kenya are AZAM TV and SuperSport TV.

Predicted Morocco XI (4-3-3): Khadija Er-Rmichi; Hanan Ait El Haj, Nahila Benzina, Azziza Rabbah, Zineb Redouani; Nadjat Badri, Yasmine Mrabet, Ghizlane Chebbak; Sanaa Mssoudy, Ibtissam Jraidi, Fatima Tagnaout.

Morocco are expected to field a familiar squad, retaining many key players from the previous WAFCON. Captain Ghizlane Chebbak will anchor the midfield, with Nahila Benzina leading the defence and Sanaa Mssoudy spearheading the attack.

Predicted Kenya XI (4-3-3): Lilian Awuor; Ruth Ingosi, Vivian Nasaka, Leah Andiema, Fasila Adhiambo; Mwanalima Jereko, Eglay Mukhwana, Elizabeth Ochaka; Violet Wanyonyi, Terry Engesha, Martha Amunyolet.

Kenya will likely stick with the core of the team that defeated Lesotho. Goalkeeper Lilian Awuor is the only surviving member from the WAFCON squad of 2016 and will be in goal while the central defensive pairing of Vivian Nasaka and Leah Andiema is set to continue, with captain Mwanalima Jereko in midfield.

The significant gap in WAFCON experience between the two teams suggests Sunday's encounter could be a one-sided affair. With a proven ability to secure dominant results, Morocco are expected to start their campaign with a comfortable and decisive victory.