Casablanca – Morocco head coach Jorge Vilda believes his side is on the right path despite being held to a goalless draw by Senegal, noting that the Atlas Lionesses have what it takes to reach the latter stages of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
Speaking after Monday’s Group A finale, Vilda acknowledged Morocco’s frustration at failing to score but pointed to the team’s overall performance and defensive discipline throughout the group stage.
“We’ve been very effective in some matches, while in others we’ve scored from very few chances,” Vilda said. “Moving forward, we have to be more clinical because scoring gives players the confidence they need to keep performing well.”
The Spanish coach commended his players for standing up to a physically demanding Senegal side, particularly in one-on-one duels and defensive situations.
“We faced a team with very quick players, so it’s normal to experience some difficulties in individual battles and balls played behind the defense,” he said.
“Overall, though, the players performed well and showed great determination in those duels. We’ll continue working on improving those aspects.”
Despite the draw, Morocco finished top of Group A after collecting seven points from three matches without conceding a goal.
“The disappointment comes from not scoring, but we have to focus on the positives,” he added. “Their goalkeeper was the best player on the pitch, which says a lot about the chances we created. Senegal also struggled to build attacks, while we remained defensively solid throughout the group stage.”
With a quarterfinal place secured, Vilda said the team is already turning its attention to the knockout rounds, emphasizing that topping the group is only one step toward Morocco’s broader ambitions.
“The journey is far from over,” Vilda concluded. “We’re not celebrating yet because our objective is to go as far as possible in this tournament. We’ll prepare well for the quarterfinals because we believe Morocco deserves to progress, and we also dream of returning to the Women’s World Cup.”
