WAFCON: Vivian Makokha pinpoints key areas that cost Harambee Starlets against Senegal

Harambee Starlets defender Vivian Nasaka Makokha has spoken out on what she considers the determining factor in Kenya’s 1-0 loss to Senegal in the Women’s African Cup of Nations Group A clash played on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Morocco.

Kenya crashed to a narrow 1-0 defeat to exit the competition after back-to-back defeats.

The Turkey-based full back with Hakkarigücü Spor shared her coach’s disappointment over the missed opportunities but remained optimistic ahead of Kenya’s final group match against Algeria.

 
“We still have another chance against Algeria, and we will fight again. Our finishing let us down today. We created several clear one-on-one chances but failed to convert them. Tactically, we had the upper hand and created more chances than Senegal, but they took theirs while we didn’t,” she said.
 
Meanwhile, Senegalese midfielder Sadigatou Diallo praised Kenya’s performance after helping her side secure a crucial victory.
 
“Kenya played very well. We are happy to have scored today after failing to find the net in our last match. It was a difficult game at times, but the most important thing was getting the win,” she said of the day’s opposition.

Seynabou Mbengue capitalised on Kenya’s defensive lapse to net the lone goal for the West African nation in the 34th minute, a win that saw them join Algeria on three points as Kenya remained propping up the group with zero points after two games.

Kenya opened its campaign on a losing note, going down 4-0 against hosts Morocco in Rabat and now staring elimination after the second loss on the bounce.

Despite the tough start, coach Odemba stayed positive, opting not to dwell on the morale-sapping defeats as the team angles for their final clash against Algeria in the group.

Improvement

“We are still in the competition, so we have to keep believing. We hope to get our first win against Algeria. From these two matches, we have identified areas we need to improve, especially in defence and converting our chances. I am disappointed we could not score today, but mentally the players responded well. There was a big improvement from the first match. It is still a work in progress,” she added.

Beldine Odemba’s charges still have one final fixture to play, a clash against Algeria, where they will aim to salvage some pride.

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.