NAIROBI, Kenya, August 2, 2026 – Harambee Starlets head coach Beldine Odemba insists her side are still keeping the faith at Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) despite a painful 1-0 defeat to Senegal on Thursday that virtually confirmed their group-stage elimination.
Speaking after the match at the Olympic Stadium yesterday, Odemba refused to lay the blame on tactical flaws alone, pointing instead to missed opportunities in front of goal and defensive lapses as the primary cost of their second straight loss in Group A.
Kenya registered 16 shots against the West Africans, with Tereza Engesha rattling the woodwork twice, but Seynabou Mbengue’s 35th-minute strike proved to be the deciding factor.
Reflecting on Senegal’s match-winner, Odemba noted that the conceded goal did not come from a moment of opponent brilliance, but rather a failure in defensive transition.
“We locked down better, dominated on our chances, and we could have defended better, maybe more counter-pressing because we had good chances. The goal the opponent scored was from our mistake. If we would have counter-pressed in good time, then it would have been a different result,” Odemba said.
The defeat echoed the frustration of Kenya’s 4-0 opening loss against hosts Morocco, where early missed chances also allowed the game to slide away.
“From the first game, we got two clear chances before the opponent was able to score. Today we got even more and better chances. So our issue, I will say, is chance conversion,”she added.
Despite the sting of back-to-back losses, Odemba praised her players’ mental resilience, highlighting a clear step forward from the opening-day performance against Morocco.
Unlike Sunday’s defeat, where the team conceded three goals in a frantic first-half collapse, the Starlets fought through the final whistle against Senegal and pushed relentless pressure in search of an equalizer.
“Mentally, the players did a little bit better, there’s an improvement. You can’t compare with the first match. When we went down in the first match, it was really difficult to bring the players back to fight. It’s a work in progress, and I can say I’m happy with the mentality so far,” Odemba explained.
With zero points from two matches, Kenya’s mathematical chances of progressing to the quarterfinals as one of the best third-placed teams are done. The Starlets are officially eliminated from the competition.
However, as the Starlets prepare for their final Group A fixture against Algeria on Monday, August 3, Odemba’s target remains unchanged, securing Kenya’s first-ever WAFCON victory and getting on the scoresheet before departing Morocco.
“We’re in the competition, so we still keep the hope. We hope that we can at least get our first win. Of course, it’s not easy. But from the two matches, you can tell that we have areas to work on. We hope that at least in the last match, we shall get something.”
