Vilda delighted after Morocco’s strong start in WAFCON 2026 opener

Morocco head coach Jorge Vilda has expressed his satisfaction with his team’s performance after the hosts began their TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2026 campaign with a convincing 4-0 victory over Kenya.

The Atlas Lionesses delivered a commanding display in their Group A opener at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat on Sunday, giving their home supporters an early glimpse of their ambitions in the tournament.

Ibtissam Jraidi starred for Morocco with a brace, while Sakina Ouzraoui and Meriem Atiq also found the net as Vilda’s side secured a comfortable opening-day win.

Speaking after the match, the Spanish coach praised his players for the way they handled the pressure of starting a major tournament on home soil and highlighted the importance of their preparation ahead of the competition.

“It’s a good start. When you start a tournament like this, it means you’ve had good preparation. I’m satisfied with what I saw from the team today,” Vilda said.

The former Spain women’s national team coach added that the performance reflected the hard work put in by the squad during their preparations, although he acknowledged that there is still room for improvement as Morocco continue their title pursuit.

Morocco entered the tournament with high expectations after finishing runners-up in the previous edition and are aiming to go one step further by lifting their first WAFCON trophy.

The emphatic win puts the hosts in a strong position in Group A as they prepare for their next fixture, while Kenya will look to recover quickly in their remaining matches to keep their qualification hopes alive.