Harambee Starlets Suffer Second Straight Loss Amid Uncertainty Over When and Where WAFCON 2026 Will Be Held

Harambee Starlets fell to Ivory Coast in a friendly match on Wednesday, but questions are now emerging about the timing and venue of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Kenya’s national women’s team endured their second consecutive defeat after losing 1-0 to Ivory Coast in Abidjan on Wednesday.

The Starlets, who are preparing for the upcoming 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, showed some improvement compared to their previous outing but still failed to find a positive result at the Alassane Ouattara Ebimpé Olympic Stadium.

Ivory Coast netted the only goal of the match in the 21st minute when Valencia forward Rebecca Elloh found the back of the net. Kenya struggled to respond for the remainder of the match, eventually concluding their tour of Ivory Coast with two defeats in two friendly fixtures.

Earlier in the week, Beldine Odemba’s side had suffered a 2-0 loss to Benin in another friendly played on Monday. The back-to-back losses highlight several areas the team must address as they continue their build-up toward the continental tournament.

What Next for Harambee Starlets

After completing their West African tour, the Starlets are scheduled to travel to Miramas, France, where they will hold a residential training camp. The camp will serve as the final stage of their preparations and will run until March 15, just days before the tournament is expected to kick off between March 17 and April 3.

Despite these plans, uncertainty now surrounds the competition itself. Questions have arisen about whether the tournament will still take place in Morocco as originally planned, and whether it will even start this month.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has hinted that changes could be announced soon regarding the host nation or the schedule of the tournament.

CAF’s Head of TV and Communications, Luxolo September, indicated on Wednesday that the continental body is closely reviewing the situation. He said CAF would release an official update within 48 hours to clarify when and where the competition will be staged.

CAF Casts Doubts Over WAFCON 2026

“CAF will communicate within the next 48 hours on the situation regarding the #TotalEnergiesWAFCON26. There have been several discussions for weeks. The matter is receiving urgent and high-level attention,” September wrote on X.

Morocco had initially been selected to host the tournament, but reports suggest the North African nation may be reluctant to stage the event. South Africa has reportedly indicated its readiness to step in if needed.

There are also suggestions that the tournament could be pushed to August, a possibility that has left several qualified teams uncertain about their plans.

Kenya has been drawn in a challenging Group A. The Starlets are scheduled to open their campaign against Morocco on March 17, face Senegal on March 20, and conclude their group stage matches against Algeria on March 23.