The national women’s football Harambee Starlets will step on the grass again tomorrow Thursday 30th July at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat with renewed hopes. They face a dented Senegal in a second Group A match of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Starlets’ hopes of winning their first ever WAFCON game received a major reality check after suffering a humbling 4-0 loss against a near flawless Atlas Lionesses who are managed by the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup winning coach Jorge Vilda.
Ahead of the ‘tough’ 8PM (Kenyan time) Senegal encounter, coach Beldine Odemba says she has been working on her players’ confidence and mental strength.
“The main area has been working on the players mentally to ensure they are ready in the right frame of mind. They are technically and tactically prepared, so we want them to be motivated, confident and ready to face the next opponent,” she said.
Odemba acknowledged that Senegal will provide a hard test, describing them as a physical side, but insisted Kenya is prepared to match their intensity.
“Tactically, we have analyzed how they played their first match. They are a physical side, but we are ready and capable of matching them. Senegal are also looking for their first win, so it won’t be an easy game. We must improve on converting our chances.
We created two clear opportunities early in the match against Morocco and failed to capitalize on them. We are looking for a composed performance. If we concede first, how will we react? Concentration will be key. We want to create more chances and be able to capitalize,” she noted
The fixture promises to be a tightly contested affair, with both teams seeking their first victory of the tournament. Senegal opened their campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Algeria, while Kenya lost to Morocco. A win for the Harambee Starlets will revive their hopes of proceeding to the second round while a loss will definitely crush the CECAFA nation’s dream of World Cup qualification.
