Corazone Aquino reacts to her Harambee Starlets snub with cryptic message
By Luke Oluoch, February 28, 2026Harambee Starlets midfielder and football icon Corazone Aquino has shared a cryptic message following her surprise omission from the team for the 15th edition of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), to be held in Morocco on March 17, 2026.
In a poignant Facebook post on Saturday, February 28, 2026, the football queen cum social media personality reflected on resilience, explaining how to transform setbacks into springboards for opportunities for new beginnings.
Resilience
The Simba Queens player emphasised that painful experiences and tough moments only lead to disaster if people surrender to despair instead of taking action.
“Tragedy should be utilised as a source of strength. No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful the experience is, if we lose our hope, that’s our real disaster!” #Godaboveall, her statement on her page with over 150k followers read.
Aquino snubs from NT
Aquino was notably absent from coach Beldine Odemba’s provisional 38-player squad for the 2026 continental championship, despite her long service with the Harambee Starlets, where she serves in the leadership group as vice-captain.
Her club teammates Jentrix Shikangwa and Elizabeth Wambui were both selected.
The decision has sparked debate online, given Aquino’s versatility, experience, and strong social media presence, especially since the squad includes six players from Kenya’s Rising Starlets.
This recent snub echoes a similar omission for the 2025 CECAFA Championship.
CECAFA snub
The incident prompted her to address the past viral claims that she had turned down a national team call-up due to a perceived disagreement with a member of the technical bench.
During that time, the former Gaspo Women star clarified her absences were due to personal commitments, not refusal.
Her sentiments come as the final squad of the national team left for Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on Friday, February 27, 2026.
Meanwhile, the ladies’ team has lamented being sidelined and urged President William Ruto to offer them comparable backing to what the men’s side received during the 2024 CHAN.
“The president should show up for us. We’ve been in camp and heard nothing from him or the CSs. So far, we feel we have been left to ourselves and the technical team. Let him show up and support us,” Starlets midfielder Mwanahalima Adam posited.