Harambee Starlets pivot to LA 2028 after WAFCON heartbreak

The Harambee Starlets departed Morocco for Nairobi on Thursday morning following their elimination from the ongoing 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Rabat.

The team is expected to touch down at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at 1:00 AM Kenyan time on Saturday, August 8.

With the continental showpiece behind them, the Starlets are already shifting focus to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic qualifiers.

The Beldine Odemba-coached side will kick off their campaign against Seychelles in a two-legged match scheduled for October 5–13, having received a first-round bye.

The Kenyan contingent boarded their flight carrying heavy lessons from a painful exit, having finished bottom of Group A after failing to secure a point in the preliminary round.

Their campaign opened with a harsh 4–0 defeat to hosts Morocco, followed by narrow 1–0 losses to both Senegal and Algeria.

Speaking at the Rabat-Salé Airport shortly before departure, Football Kenya Federation Head of Projects and National Teams Athanas Obala reflected on the journey.

"For sure it has been a very great tournament, only that Kenya had bad results. We have done benchmarking to try to understand what Morocco have invested for them to be a football powerhouse in Africa.

“To us it's a learning experience and we must invest in talent development, something which has raised Morocco to this level. The preparation has been fine, from taking part in the FIFA Series to the Miramas Camp in France, and finally competing at WAFCON."

When asked about Odemba’s performance, Obala declined to evaluate the technical bench directly.

"My job doesn't allow me to evaluate the coach's performance; I'm here to ensure the well-being of the team and that all their needs on this trip are met. But I believe she's a great coach who did her job diligently, under no pressure from the Federation. As Federation President Hussein Mohammed said, an expert committee will sit down to evaluate her performance and chart the way forward."

Starlets skipper Mwanalima "Jereko" Adam defended her coach, insisting the squad must take accountability for their display on the pitch.

"As a captain, I noted that we played against very tough teams. Starlets depend heavily on me, but our opponents had nearly ten players of similar quality, meaning we must work much harder.

"I don't think coach Odemba is to blame; she did her job, but we as players failed her. At points on the pitch, I was cautioning players against committing silly mistakes, including squandering clear chances.

“WAFCON is behind us now. It’s time to take our lessons and come back stronger for the Olympic qualifiers and future matches,” said Mwanalima.