Placed in a challenging group alongside Senegal, Algeria, and Kenya, the Atlas Lionesses kick off the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations with high ambitions of claiming the title after finishing as runners-up in the 2022 and 2024 editions.
Third time’s the charm for the Atlas Lionesses, who will be backed by a home crowd as they look to break the glass ceiling, turn silver into gold, and claim the continental throne.
Jorge Vilda’s players will have the opportunity to cement their new status as an emerging powerhouse in African women’s football. Ever since the 2022 tournament hosted on home soil, the Moroccan national team has made massive strides on both the continental and international stages, featuring two consecutive WAFCON finals and a historic Round of 16 appearance at their debut World Cup in 2023 – an unprecedented feat for Moroccan football.
On the eve of the tournament’s kickoff, the Moroccan squad sent a strong statement with a resounding 5-0 victory over Cape Verde at the Père Jégo Stadium in Casablanca in their final warm-up match, a promising sign as they head into the competition.
This edition of WAFCON is all the more crucial for the Atlas Lionesses because it also serves as a qualifier for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, with all four semifinalists securing their tickets to South America.
Facing Ghizlane Chebbak and her teammates won’t be a walk in the park against equally ambitious teams, notably Algeria, which booked its ticket by overcoming one of the established heavyweights of African women’s football, Cameroon.
The “Fennecs” first swept South Sudan with a 5-0 win away and a 3-0 win at home, before knocking out Cameroon by unlocking a 2-1 victory in Oran and sealing their ambitions with a 1-0 away win in Douala, securing their second consecutive qualification for the finals.
Along their path to glory, the Atlas Lionesses will lock horns with the Lionesses of Teranga, quarterfinalists in the last two editions, a consistency that reflects Senegal’s determination to play a leading role in this tournament.
Following their maiden appearance in 1991, which ended in a first-round elimination, Senegal made its continental comeback in 2022 with the aim of establishing a lasting presence. Since then, the Lionesses of Teranga have reached the quarterfinals in both 2022 and 2024.
In a crucial opening match to launch their home campaign, the Atlas Lionesses will face Kenya’s Harambee Starlets on July 26 at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat. The Kenyans are making their grand return to the continental stage ten years after their sole previous appearance.
Led by their captain Mwanahalima Adam Jereko, the Kenyan side is ready to challenge Group A’s heavyweights with ambitions of shaking up the African hierarchy as a serious dark horse.
add your comment
Terms of publication : Not to offend the writer, people, sacred things, or attack religions or the divine self, and refrain from racist incitement and insults.