Defender Shilwatso apologises after Harambee Starlets crash out of WAFCON 2026
By Joel Masibo, August 4, 2026Harambee Starlets defender Euphrasier Shilwatso has issued an emotional apology to Kenyan fans after the national women’s team endured a disappointing return to the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), bowing out at the group stage without scoring a single goal.
Kenya’s campaign came to an end on Monday night, August 3, 2026, following a 2-0 defeat to Algeria in the final outing of Group A in Rabat, with first-half goals from Marine Dafeur and Lynda Bendris condemning Beldine Odemba’s side to their third consecutive defeat of the tournament.
Following the loss, Shilwatso took to social media to express her disappointment and apologise to supporters who stood by the team throughout the competition.
“Nowhere near the level we expect from ourselves. We owe you a massive apology for the performance yesterday and the entire tournament. We appreciate every single one of you who backed us until the final whistle. We will stick together and put things right next time for the badge and the country,” she said.
The defender’s message reflected the mood within the squad after a tournament that failed to live up to the expectations generated by Kenya’s return to Africa’s biggest women’s football competition for the first time in a decade.
The Starlets had qualified impressively after eliminating Tunisia before beating The Gambia 4-1 on aggregate to secure only their second-ever appearance at WAFCON. They entered the tournament hoping to make history despite being drawn into a difficult Group A alongside hosts Morocco, Senegal and Algeria.
However, the tournament quickly turned into a struggle.
Kenya opened their campaign against hosts Morocco but were comfortably beaten 4-0 before suffering another 1-0 defeat against Senegal. The Starlets headed into their final group match against Algeria needing a positive result to salvage pride, but once again found themselves chasing the game after conceding twice inside the opening 23 minutes.
Despite making several changes during the match, Kenya failed to find a breakthrough, finishing the tournament with three defeats, zero goals scored and an early exit.
The campaign was particularly frustrating considering the optimism surrounding the squad before departure. Coach Beldine Odemba had blended experienced internationals with emerging young talents, while captain Mwanahalima Adam led a side that had enjoyed encouraging preparations despite an allowances dispute that was resolved before the team travelled to a training camp in France ahead of the finals.
Shilwatso’s apology is likely to resonate with supporters who had hoped the Starlets would build on their successful qualification campaign. Instead, the team now returns home with plenty of lessons to learn as attention shifts to rebuilding for future continental competitions.