05/08/2026
24 VS 26: THE STORY BEHIND KENYA'S WAFCON SQUAD
GOAL-LESS AND TWO SHORT: WHAT HAPPENED TO HARAMBEE STARLETS AT WAFCON
Kinoru Stadium | M K N.
Date: August 5, 2026
Harambee Starlets returned from WAFCON 2026 with pride, but also with questions.
Kenya was the only team at the tournament to travel with 24 players. Every other nation came with a full complement of 26. Kenya also returned home without scoring a single goal.
The result has forced a conversation about squad selection, club communication, and what comes next for the national team.
THE SQUAD THAT WENT
Head coach Beldine Odemba named a 24-player squad for WAFCON 2026. The list had a mix of experience and youth. Goalkeeper Lillian โAliloโ Awuor and Captain Mwanahalima Jereko brought leadership. Teenager Elizabeth Ochaka, 16, was the youngest. Others like Violet Nanjala and Enez Mango ply their trade abroad in Scotland and Romania.
But compared to other teams, Kenya was two players short.
THE NAMES MISSING
Three names stood out in their absence, all forwards with proven pedigree.
1. Jentrix Shikangwa
Position: Striker. Club: Simba Queens, Tanzania โ FC Masar, Egypt
Shikangwa was coming off her best season yet. She scored 21 goals in 2025-2026 to help Simba Queens win the Tanzania Womenโs Premier League. She was also top scorer at the 2019 CECAFA Womenโs Championship with 10 goals. Her CV includes stints in Turkey with Fatih Karagรผmrรผk and in China with Beijing.
According to Coach Odemba, Simba Queens submitted a medical report to FKF stating Shikangwa was โnot ready to playโ following the FIFA Series. FKF said it requested an update but did not receive a response, and moved on with other players. In early July 2026, Shikangwa completed a 2-year deal to join FC Masar in Egypt.
2. Elizabeth Wambui
Position: Forward/Winger. Club: Simba Queens
Wambui featured in Harambee Starletsโ provisional squads for WAFCON qualifiers and was listed among forwards during WAFCON prep. She is known for her versatility, able to play wide or centrally.
Simba Queens informed FKF that both Wambui and Shikangwa were โunavailable due to illnessโ and provided medical reports. Wambui was later also dropped from the squad that traveled to Ivory Coast.
3. Lydia "Ozil" Akoth
Position: Attacking Midfielder. Club: Yanga Princesses, Tanzania
Akoth, 23, earned the nickname "Ozil" for her playmaking and vision. She was FKF Womenโs Premier League MVP with Kenya Police Bullets in 2023/24. She joined Yanga Princesses on loan in early 2025 before signing a permanent 2-year deal on August 1, 2025. She did not make the final 24.
THE RESULT AND THE QUESTIONS
Kenya exited WAFCON without finding the net. The team worked hard, but lacked cutting edge in the final third.
With the facts now public, three key questions remain:
1. Why 24 and not 26? Was it a technical decision, budget constraint, or due to the late medical updates from clubs?
2. Club vs Country communication: With two key strikers at one club, Simba Queens, how can FKF and clubs improve information flow ahead of major tournaments?
3. Goals: With proven scorers like Shikangwa and Wambui unavailable, how does Kenya solve its scoring problem before the next qualifiers?
THE BOTTOM LINE
This is not an attack on the 24 players who represented Kenya. They wore the jersey and gave their all.
It is a call for transparency. Kenyan fans love Harambee Starlets. And love means asking hard questions so the team comes back stronger.
FKF, the technical bench, and the clubs all have a role in ensuring Kenya never goes to a major tournament under-strength again.
Because next time, we donโt just want to participate. We want to score. We want to win.
POST SCRIPT:
Harambee Starlets left Nairobi for Miramas, France on: Wednesday, July 15, 2026*
Timeline ahead of WAFCON Morocco:
1. France camp: 5-day training camp in Miramas. Other reports also called it a "week-long" camp.
2. Travel to Morocco: They traveled on to Morocco on July 23, 2026
3. Days in France: From July 15 to July 23 = 8 days total
- The official plan was a 5-day acclimatization camp, but they stayed until the 23rd before heading to Morocco.
4. WAFCON kickoff: Kenyaโs first match vs hosts Morocco was on *July 26, 2026.
So, they spent about 8 days in France, then went straight to Morocco 3 days before their opening game.
The France camp was for acclimatization - Miramas has weather similar to Rabat and Marrakech where Kenya played.
Questions:
1. Why didn't they head straight to Morocco (like most teams did) instead of looking for similar weather in Europe?
2. Are we sure they got adequate requisite training at their Miramas base; considering they played two late night matches under floodlights.
3. Was facility in Miramas equipped with floodlit pitches for adequate night preps?
WHAT HAPPENED TO HARAMBEE STARLETS AT WAFCON!
