Harambee Starlets end West Africa tour with narrow defeat to Ivory Coast

Rebecca Ello scored the lone goal in the 21st minute, handing the Elephants a second consecutive victory in their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) preparations, having beaten Benin last weekend.

The loss marked the second defeat for Beldine Odemba’s side on the tour, following Monday’s 2–0 loss to Benin.

The match served as the Starlets’ final international friendly ahead of their second appearance at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

If all goes as initially planned, the tournament will run from March 17 to April 3 in Morocco. Kenya will open their campaign against hosts Morocco on March 17, before facing Senegal on March 20 and concluding their group stage fixtures against Algeria on March 23.

The Starlets will not return to Nairobi after the tour. Instead, the team departs Abidjan on Thursday for a high-performance residential camp in Miramas, France. The camp, which runs until March 15, is expected to serve as the final “refinement phase” of their preparations.

Kenya’s only previous appearance at the tournament came in 2016 in Cameroon, where they were drawn in Group B alongside Nigeria, Ghana and Mali. The Starlets lost their opening match 3–1 to Ghana’s Black Queens before suffering another 3–1 defeat to Mali in their second game.

Their final group match ended in a heavy 4–0 loss to Nigeria’s Super Falcons, seeing Kenya exit the tournament without a win.

Despite that history, head coach Beldine Odemba believes the team has grown significantly since the 2016 edition and is capable of making a deeper run.

“We are looking at the bigger picture. Preparation is everything, and modern football demands organisation, teamwork and belief,” said Odemba.

“The goal is to build on our 2016 performance. With a mix of young talent and experience, we have a real chance to rewrite history.”