“We are not going to the TotalEnergies WAFCON to participate” – Kenya coach Beldine Odemba

Published:
Wednesday, 08 July 2026

A decade after their historic debut, Kenya’s national women’s football team, the Harambee Starlets, are set to return to Africa’s biggest women’s football stage after securing qualification for the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), Morocco 2026.

As the countdown to the tournament gathers pace, head coach Beldine Odemba has set her sights beyond mere participation, boldly declaring that Kenya’s ultimate objective is to secure a place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The upcoming WAFCON will not only determine the continental champions but will also offer four coveted qualification slots to the global showpiece. For the Starlets, reaching the semi-finals and earning a historic World Cup berth remains the dream.

“We are not just going to participate; we are going to compete,” Odemba told CAFOnline.com.

“I believe we have grown tremendously as a team over the years. We have improved in many areas, and the friendly matches we have played have given us a clear picture of where we stand. We will be facing the best teams on the continent, but I believe we can match them and compete strongly.”

Kenya’s return to WAFCON less than two years after the country’s U-17 women’s side became the first ever Kenyan team to qualify for a World Cup when they earned a ticket to the global showpiece in the Dominican Republic.

This milestone underlined the steady rise of women’s football in the East African nation.

For Odemba, these achievements are only the beginning.

“Women’s football in Kenya has been steadily growing. There is still a lot more that can and should be done, but I believe we are moving in the right direction,” she said.

“We now have more players earning opportunities abroad, which is a clear indication of the talent we possess. The talent has always been there; what we lacked were the opportunities, and now those opportunities are beginning to come.”

The Starlets have been hard at work preparing for what will be only their second appearance at the continental finals. Most recently, they participated in a four-nation tournament in Zambia, which Odemba describes as a crucial step in their preparations.

Kenya held hosts Zambia to a 1-1 draw before narrowly losing on penalties, then produced an emphatic 6-0 victory over Lesotho. The contrasting encounters provided valuable lessons ahead of the tournament.

“Zambia are among the strongest teams in Africa and have enormous experience. They have played at the World Cup, the Olympics and multiple AFCON tournaments, so getting a result like that against them gave us plenty of positives,” Odemba explained.

“The Lesotho match, on the other hand, helped boost our confidence in front of goal and allowed us to work on different aspects of our attacking play. Both matches have been extremely beneficial in strengthening our preparations.”

With just over a month before the tournament kicks off, Odemba believes her side is progressing well and is approximately 60 percent ready for the challenge ahead.

The focus now shifts to the final phase of preparations.

The Starlets are scheduled to hold a four-day local training camp in early July, during which they will play two local friendly matches before heading to France for a two-week residential training camp. The team will then travel directly to Morocco for the finals.

“From next month, we enter a very crucial phase of our preparation,” Odemba said.

“We have done an incredible amount of work since qualifying, but now we are approaching the most delicate stage. The four-day camp will help us assess where every player is physically and tactically before we move into the residential camp, where we will fine-tune everything ahead of the tournament.”

Kenya have been drawn into a daunting Group A alongside hosts Morocco, Algeria and Senegal, a pool Odemba readily describes as the tournament’s ‘group of death’.

“It is definitely not an easy group,” she admitted.

“But if our goal is to qualify for the World Cup, then we must be prepared to compete against and beat the best teams. In a way, facing them early can help us build confidence. I am not worried at all because I have complete confidence in my players.”

The coach believes previous encounters against Morocco and Algeria will provide valuable insight, while Senegal remain the only unfamiliar opponent in the group.

“We have played both Morocco and Algeria before, so we understand their strengths and know how to approach those matches. Senegal is the only team we have not faced, but we expect a very difficult game.”

“These matches will test us, but they will also be an opportunity to show Africa that we are ready to compete at the highest level. As challenging as these games will be for us, they will not be easy for our opponents either.”

As preparations intensify, the Harambee Starlets are embracing the challenge ahead with confidence and belief.

Ten years after their first appearance on Africa’s grandest stage, Kenya’s women are dreaming bigger than ever; determined not only to make their mark at WAFCON Morocco 2026, but also to take the next historic step towards a first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification.