Hussein Mohammed Breaks Silence on Beldine Odemba's Future After Harambee Starlets WAFCON Exit

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Hussein Mohammed has outlined the process that will determine the future of Harambee Starlets head coach Beldine Odemba and the rest of the technical bench following Kenya's disappointing 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) campaign.

Making their first appearance at the continental tournament in a decade, Harambee Starlets endured a difficult return, exiting at the group stage after losing all three Group A matches in Morocco.

Harambee Starlets began with a 4-0 defeat to hosts Morocco before falling 1-0 to Senegal, and wrapped up their campaign with a 2-0 loss to Algeria on August 3.

Harambee Starlets finished bottom of the group without a point or a goal, bringing a disappointing end to their long-awaited return to Africa's biggest women's football tournament.

Speaking after the match against Algeria, Hussein Mohammed said the federation would not make any immediate decisions regarding the future of the Harambee Starlets' technical bench, stressing that a thorough post-tournament review would first be conducted.

Hussein Mohammed explained that the technical department had been tasked with carrying out a comprehensive assessment of the team's performances throughout the competition to determine what worked, where the shortcomings lay, and the factors that contributed to Kenya's early exit.

The FKF president noted that the findings of the review would guide the federation's next course of action, insisting that any decisions concerning the coaching staff would be based on a detailed evaluation rather than emotions or the disappointment of the tournament.

He added that FKF would allow the review process to run its course before considering any changes to the technical setup.

“I think we will have an analysis of the technical department where they will be able to assess how it has been and why we have been able to perform as you can see. We shall be patient and wait for the assessment from the department and then make a decision,” Hussein Mohammed said.

Meanwhile, Beldine Odemba was appointed head coach of the Harambee Starlets in September 2, 2023.