Kenya’s women’s national football team, the Harambee Starlets, are set to return to the continental stage after their debut appearance at the 2016 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
In that tournament, the Starlets endured a difficult outing, losing all their group matches—4–0 to Nigeria, 3–1 to Mali and 3–1 to Ghana.
The Starlets will now compete in the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) finals, scheduled to take place in Morocco from March 17 to April 3.
Having secured qualification with an emphatic 4–1 aggregate victory over Gambia in the final qualifying round, Kenya have been drawn into a challenging Group A.
They will face the host nation Morocco, as well as quarter-finalists from the previous edition, Algeria and Senegal.
Group B features 2022 champions South Africa alongside Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania and Burkina Faso.
Group C includes record 10-time champions and defending holders Nigeria, debutants Malawi, Zambia and Egypt, while Group D comprises Cameroon, Mali, debutants Cape Verde and Ghana.
The 2026 tournament marks an expansion from 12 to 16 teams. It will also serve as a qualifier for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, with the four semi-finalists earning automatic qualification.
The two losing quarter-finalists will contest a playoff for the remaining two places at the inter-confederation qualifiers.