WAFCON: Awour backs Starlets to bounce back after Morocco defeat

Harambee Starlets goalkeeper Lilian Awour remains confident Kenya can recover from their opening defeat and keep their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive at the 2026 CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.

Speaking after the match, the Farul Constanța shot-stopper produced a string of impressive saves despite Kenya's 4-0 loss to hosts Morocco and believes the team has what it takes to respond against Senegal and Algeria in their remaining Group A matches.

“We gave our best, but the outcome was not what we wanted. Going into the next match, we will correct the mistakes we made against Morocco. I want to assure Kenyans that we will fight for a win against Senegal. We struggled to settle in the first half and conceded three goals, but after that we improved, identified our mistakes and made the necessary adjustments,” she said.

Awour, the only player in the current squad who featured at Kenya's maiden WAFCON appearance in 2016, insists the team's confidence remains high despite the setback.

“Our confidence is still there, and the motivation remains high. Our objective is still to reach the semi-finals. One defeat does not mean everything is over. We still have hope because we have two matches left to play,” she added.

Beldine Odemba’s side now faces a must-win clash against Senegal on July 30 at 11.00 PM EAT at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat after both sides lost their opening matches. Senegal went down 2-0 to Algeria, leaving both teams desperate for points to keep their qualification hopes alive.

Only the top two teams from the group will advance to the knockout stage, with the Starlets also set to face Algeria in their final group match.