NAIROBI, Kenya, August 5, 2026 – Kenya’s hopes of progressing in the competition came to an end following a 2-0 defeat to Algeria, with players Violet Nanjala and Lorna Nyabuto admitting the team still has significant ground to cover to compete with Africa’s top sides.
Reflecting on the loss, Nanjala described the result as disappointing but insisted the team would use the setback as motivation to improve.
“This is football, and these things happen. We are going back to correct the mistakes we have made since our first game. I know that when we return next time, we will be better,” she said.
The forward acknowledged that Kenya remains some distance behind established continental powers such as Morocco, Algeria and Senegal, saying the gap is evident in both performance levels and investment in women’s football.
“When you compare our team with Morocco, Senegal or Algeria, we are still far behind. We have to keep fighting to reach where those teams are. If we prepare well and remain consistent, I believe we can eventually get to their level,” she said.
Nanjala also stressed that long-term progress would depend on continuity within the squad and regular competitive matches.
“You look at those teams and many of their players have earned 40 or more international caps because they have stayed together for a long time. We need that consistency too. We should avoid constantly changing players and instead build together as a team,” she said.
Nyabuto echoed those sentiments, saying Kenya failed to capitalize on the opportunities they created throughout the tournament despite producing encouraging attacking moments.
“It was a poorer game than we had expected. We wanted to score more goals, but unfortunately we only managed one throughout the tournament,” she said.
Despite the early exit, Nyabuto believes the competition offered valuable lessons, particularly after facing teams operating at a higher level.
“We have learned a lot. We’ve seen how other teams play, and there is a big difference between the way they play and the way we play.”
She identified finishing as Kenya’s biggest weakness, noting that missed chances proved costly across all three matches.
“We created many chances in all three games but failed to convert them. In football, if you don’t take your chances, your opponents will get one and punish you,” she said.
Nyabuto added: “We need to learn how to use our chances better. We should be the team scoring first instead of allowing opponents to punish us after we’ve wasted opportunities.”
The midfielder also emphasized the responsibility the players carry to perform.
“We have to take responsibility because this is our profession, it’s what puts food on our tables. We have to give everything we have and continue working hard,” Nyabuto said.
While Kenya’s campaign ended in disappointment, both players agreed that the experience had highlighted the areas requiring improvement.
Their message was clear: with better preparation, sustained investment, squad continuity and more competitive matches, the team can close the gap on Africa’s elite.
