WAFCON: Harambee Starlets suffer elimination after defeat to Senegal
By Luke Oluoch, July 31, 2026The journey of Kenya’s women’s national team, the Harambee Starlets, in the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) came to a heartbreaking end following a 1–0 defeat to Senegal on Thursday, July 30, 2026, at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat.
A first-half goal by Les Lionnes secured a hard-fought victory against a resilient Kenyan side, who were left to rue their missed chances on a night when the stakes were high.
The loss, their second in the group stage following an opening 4–0 defeat to hosts Morocco, led by 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup-winning manager Jorge Vilda, sealed Kenya’s elimination, making them the first team to bid farewell to the tournament.
The CECAFA representatives showed spirited determination, particularly in the second half, with substitute Marion Serenge enlivening the attack after coming off the bench.
Kenya’s final fight
The 63rd-minute entrant had Kenya’s best opportunity to equalise from inside the penalty box, but she couldn’t gather the ball cleanly on her stride to unleash a meaningful strike. Kenya’s late push for a goal ended in further frustration when Terry Engesha saw her powerful effort crash off the crossbar.
With zero points and five goals conceded from their opening two matches, Beldine Odemba’s side sits bottom of the group, and qualification for the knockout stage is no longer mathematically possible.
However, the East Africans still have one final fixture to play, a clash against Algeria, where they will aim to salvage some pride. Meanwhile, the Algerians will be fighting for a vital win to secure their own place in the quarter-finals.
The Algerian clash will kick off on August 3, 2026, at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat. The tie kicks off at 11:00 pm Kenyan time.
Meanwhile, Morocco took charge of Group A after outsmarting Algeria 1-0 in the other group clash. Sanaâ Mssoudy’s strike with six minutes left to play proved sufficient to send the hosts top of Group A with 6 points.