NAIROBI, Kenya, July 24, 2026 – The national women’s football team docked in Rabat ahead of their opening match of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) against hosts Morocco on Sunday night.
Beldine Odemba’s charges have been in a residential camp in Miramas, France, for the past week, sharpening their claws for the battle ahead, in which they set their sights on a semi-final berth.
The team landed in the Moroccan city, every player decked in black tracksuits with streaks of red, white and green of the Kenyan flag — and wearing bright smiles ahead of the warfare.
The mood across the camp is that securing a last four slot is not beyond the ability of Harambee Starlets who will be making second ever appearance at the continental competition.
Speaking before their departure for North Africa, midfielder Marion Serenge talked up their chances of reaching the semis, which will guarantee a spot at next year’s World Cup in Brazil.
“Everything has gone well so far…the belief is high across the squad. We believe we can do it and we will be going for nothing less than the semi-finals because we want to play at next year’s World Cup,” she said.
Echoing her sentiments was tricky winger Fasila Adhiambo who said she is ready to give everything to see Starlets walk away with top honours.
“My goal is to provide as many assists as possible because that is my job as a winger. If I can, I also want to get in among the goals,” she said.
Easier said than done; matches against the Atlas Lionesses, Senegal and Algeria will call for utmost determination if they are to come away with a positive result.
Odemba’s charges will be hoping to avoid the fate of their predecessors in 2016 who lost all their matches on their debut in Cameroon — losing to Ghana, Mali and Nigeria in Group B.
Tens years later, Starlets have a glorious opportunity to exorcise the ghosts of Cameroon while opening a memorable chapter for women’s football.
