Why Odemba is unfazed by Harambee Starlets facing heavyweights at 2026 WAFCON finals
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Reading Time: 3min | Fri. 16.01.26. | 15:27
The 42-year-old served as one of the two draw assistants during Thursday's ceremony in Rabat
Kenya women’s national football team head coach Beldine Odemba said she was “very happy and excited” for Harambee Starlets after landing a what is viewed as a challenging group at this year’s 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) scheduled for Tuesday, 17 March to Friday, 3 April in Morocco.
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Odemba, who led the Starlets to making WAFCON return after 10 years, was on Thursday, 15 January present during the tournament draw held at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Rabat.
The 42-year-old served as one of the draw assistants for the ceremony that was preluded by the CAF Women’s Football Awards, and witnessed first-hand as her side was pooled in Group A alongside tournament hosts Morocco, Senegal and Algeria.
Such an honour to have been part of the draw in Morocco. Football is made of such duels and as a team, we will give our best in this tournament. #WAFCONDraw #WAFCON pic.twitter.com/JC0s7LDCqy
— Beldine Odemba (@beldine_odemba) January 15, 2026
Asked of her immediate reaction to the draw, Odemba said: “We good. Of course there is no easy group there, and we are growing and looking forward to being a great footballing nation in women football.”
Breaking down the teams in Group A just on FIFA rankings and relative experience, Harambee Starlets ranks lowest, given their position 133 in the world, and the 2026 edition being only their second appearance at the WAFCON.
That pales in comparison to their group opponents, who are all inside the top 100 places in the world, and Senegal being the nation with the least WAFCON appearances (four).
Almost referring to that chasm, a defiant Odemba added: “If we cannot play the best and the experienced, then we can never be the best. So we are happy and excited.”
Odemba late last year received the Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS) in recognition of her leadership in guiding the national women’s team to their second WAFCON appearance since 2016.
Then, debutants Kenya found themselves in a similarly tough group, and ended up bouncing out after three straight defeats in Group B to Cameroon to Ghana, Mali and Nigeria.
Odemba hopes this year’s edition will bring better tidings for Kenya, even as they seek to be regulars in the continental game.
Coincidentally, Kenya in 2025 matched up with two of their Group A opponents in a bunch of international friendlies.
In June, Starlets lost 5-1 to Morocco in Tangier, before travelling to Algeria for a pair of warm-up games in late November, which ended in a 2-1 win for the hosts, and a 1-1 draw in the second fixture.
Kenya’s group stage fixtures at 2026 WAFCON:
Morocco vs Kenya
17 March, 2026
Moulay El Hassan Stadium
Senegal vs Kenya
20 March, 2026
Moulay El Hassan Stadium
Algeria vs Kenya
23 March, 2026
Al Madina Stadium
