Harambee Starlets WAFCON flop puts coach Odemba’s future in jeopardy

The future of Harambee Starlets head coach Beldine Odemba hangs in the balance following Kenya's early exit from the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Rabat, Morocco.

The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Technical Committee is set to review her performance after the national team finished bottom of Group ‘A’ without a single point.

The Starlets bowed out of the continental showpiece after a 2-0 defeat to Algeria in their final group match at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat on Monday.

Their disappointing campaign began with a heavy 4-0 loss to hosts Morocco, followed by a narrow 1-0 defeat to Senegal.

Speaking to Citizen Digital, FKF President Hussein Mohammed expressed disappointment over the results, attributing the poor run to a lack of tournament experience.

"We will conduct a thorough review with our technical department to analyze the cause of these poor results," Hussein said. "Once the final report is out, we will decide on the coach's future."

Despite the setback, Hussein emphasized that the federation's focus will now shift to rebuilding the squad for future assignments.

“It has been ten years since we last featured in the continent's biggest women's football competition,” he noted.

“While it is disappointing that we didn't win a match, the key takeaway is the valuable experience gained. We will go back, correct our mistakes, and plan better to build a stronger team moving forward.”

Hussein also dismissed allegations of poor preparations, defending the federation's logistical support prior to the tournament, which included a pre-tournament international camp in Miramas, France.

"As a federation, we did everything possible to give the team adequate preparation," Hussein insisted.

“Claims that they were ill-prepared are misleading. The players received all their allowances, and we even promised additional bonuses, but that is simply the nature of football.”

Returning to the WAFCON stage after a decade-long absence since their 2016 debut, the Starlets struggled to keep pace with continental rivals.

While neighbouring nations like Tanzania have made noticeable strides in recent years, Kenya's stagnant progress on the pitch proved costly in Rabat.