East African hopes took a heavy hit at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2026 on Thursday night as Kenya’s Harambee Starlets suffered a brutal 1–0 defeat to Senegal at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat.
The result leaves Beldine Odemba’s coached side at the bottom of Group A with zero points from two matches, officially ending their chances of progressing to the knockout stages or contending for a spot at the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Coming off a tough 4–0 loss to hosts Morocco in their group opener, Kenya knew anything short of a win against Senegal would leave them on the brink.
Despite controlling vast stretches of possession and firing an astonishing 22 shots toward the Senegalese goal, the Starlets were punished for their wastefulness in front of net.
The game’s deciding moment arrived in the 34th minute when Senegal’s Seynabou Mbengue connected with Ndeye Awa’s cross to beat Kenyan goalkeeper Lilian Awuor.
Kenya pushed aggressively after the interval, rattling the woodwork three times and creating two clean one-on-one chances for lead forward Terry Engesha. However, Senegal keeper Adji Ndiaye produced a string of crucial saves to keep the East Africans at bay until the final whistle.
WAFCON 2026 — Group A Table
Playing for Pride:
As one of East Africa’s representatives at this year’s continental showpiece alongside Tanzania’s Twiga Stars, Kenya will be playing purely for pride when they take on Algeria in their final Group A fixture on Monday, August 3.
While the dream of making the knockout stages is over for the Starlets, Odemba’s side will aim to end their campaign on a high note by securing their first points on the continental stage.
