Kenya Reaps the Fruits of Poor Investment as Harambee Starlets Exit WAFCON Without a Point or Goal

Harambee Starlets’ poor performance at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON 2026) has led to a sharp focus on the team’s preparations, tactics and selection before and during the tournament.

Kenya were handed tough lessons at WAFCON, starting with a 4-0 loss to Morocco, before losing 1-0 to Senegal and Algeria completed the triple dose of trouble when they handed them a 2-0 defeat.

Starlets were returning to WAFCON after a 10-year hiatus, having made their debut in 2016, and from their display, it was evident that there had been no learnings over that period.

While other nations, notably Tanzania, have improved with time, Kenya, have not and they paid the ultimate price.

Starlets were brutally exposed in Morocco, failing to defend well, getting sloppy in possession and making basic passing mistakes that allowed their rivals to take full advantage.

Even when they had opportunities to score, they still missed their chances. This is not a problem that started at WAFCON but has been there for a while. The result was a poor group stage campaign where they conceded seven goals, failed to score any and ended up without a point.

While coach Beldine Odemba has to bear some responsibility, especially on selection and her tactics, it is not all her fault because it looks like Kenya have not learnt anything from their 10-year WAFCON absence.

While other countries have made deliberate efforts to invest in women’s football, Kenya has not and just like the case with Harambee Stars, the struggle continues. Odemba was at pains to explain the tough exit but there was a sense of feeling that she was holding back because she knew she had been let down.

"We have picked valuable lessons, particularly in our tactical approach and preparation. We have also learnt the importance of converting the chances we create. Although we had good preparations, including participating in the FIFA Series, playing more international friendly matches would have made a difference," said Odemba.

Besides the deliberate lack of investment, the team did not also have the best camps pre-WAFCON. Just before they flew out, Starlets players staged a protest, demanding payment of their delayed dues before they boarded their plane, which already created a negative mood.

There are also reports that the team did not camp in Miramas as it has been reported and before WAFCON, they did not play a single friendly match to give the coach an idea of how her team would cope.

Their last friendlies had been at the four nations tournament in early June for a tournament that kicked off on July 26. Compare that to their rivals Morocco, who played twice in June and the same again in July against Malawi and New Zealand, Senegal also had four matches pre-WAFCON.

Meanwhile, Algeria also played two matches just before the tournament started while they had also played during the June window. Those three teams were already more prepared than Kenya who became the whipping girls of Group A.