Harambee Starlets Midfielder Reveals What Must Change After Disappointing WAFCON Campaign

Harambee Starlets midfielder Lorna Nyabuto has opened up on what she believes prevented Kenya from making an impact at the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).

Harambee Starlets' campaign came to a disappointing end after they crashed out in the group stage without collecting a single point in Group A.

Under head coach Beldine Odemba, Kenya began their tournament in Morocco with a heavy 4-0 defeat to the hosts before falling 1-0 to Senegal in their second outing.

Their hopes of progressing were finally extinguished on August 3, 2026, following a 2-0 loss to Algeria at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat.

Harambee Starlets finished bottom of Group A after conceding seven goals and failing to score throughout the tournament, bringing their WAFCON journey to an early end.

Speaking after the match against Algeria, Lorna Nyabuto admitted that Harambee Starlets fell short of their expectations at the tournament, acknowledging that the team had hoped to produce better performances and be more clinical in front of goal.

The midfielder expressed disappointment that Kenya failed to capitalise on the chances they created, saying the inability to score ultimately made it difficult for the team to compete against some of Africa's strongest sides.

Despite the disappointing campaign, Nyabuto described the tournament as a valuable learning experience, noting that competing against elite opposition had exposed areas where the Starlets need to improve.

She stressed that the team must use the lessons from Morocco to raise their standards, continue developing and prepare for future competitions with a better understanding of the demands of top-level continental football.

“It was not a good game as we wanted; we expected to score more goals, but, unfortunately, we didn’t score. I appreciate the opportunity to come and compete here, and I think we also need to work hard and know what's next and what the next level is, so we can perform. This WAFCON has taught us that the way other people play and the way we play are two different things,” she said.

Nyabuto attributed Kenya's disappointing campaign largely to the team's wastefulness in front of goal, saying Harambee Starlets repeatedly created promising opportunities but lacked the cutting edge needed to convert them into goals.

She observed that their opponents were far more clinical, often making the most of the few chances they created, while Kenya struggled to capitalise despite enjoying spells of attacking play.

The midfielder stressed that improving the team's finishing must now become a priority, calling on the players to return to the drawing board and sharpen their goalscoring ability ahead of future competitions.

Nyabuto also urged the squad to take collective responsibility for the disappointing results, emphasising that representing the national team comes with accountability because football is not only their passion but also their profession.

“It’s just unfortunate that we created a lot of chances but didn't take them well. When our opponents got even one chance, they would score, but we struggled a lot,” she said.

“We need to go back to the drawing board and learn how to score because there are some people who don’t know how to score. We need to learn how to convert our chances. We have to take responsibility because this game is what brings food to our table.”