The victory saw Senegal bounce back in impressive fashion following their loss to Algeria, while Kenya’s hopes of progressing now rest on the final round of group fixtures after suffering a second consecutive defeat.
FC Metz’s striker Seynabou Mbengue capitalised on Kenya’s defensive lapse to net the lone goal for the West African nation in the 34th minute.
Kenya threw everything forward in the closing stages and were desperately unlucky not to level the scoreline.
Tereza Obunyu cut inside her marker before sending a low strike against the woodwork. The rebound fell kindly for Mwamalima Adam, whose follow-up effort was brilliantly denied by Ndiaye to preserve Senegal’s slender lead.
The disappointing outcome leaves Kenya rooted at the bottom of Group A after back-to-back defeats, significantly denting their hopes of reaching the knockout stage.
Odemba admitted her side created enough opportunities but failed to make them count. Kenya had opened their campaign on a losing note, going down 4-0 against hosts Morocco in Rabat.
Senegal goal came from our mistake
“We would have done better if we had defended well and converted the chances we created,” said a shocked Odemba after the game.
“The goal they scored came from our mistake. Against Morocco, we also created chances but couldn’t score, and today we had even better opportunities.”
Despite the second straight defeat, Odemba refused to give up on Kenya’s chances of proceeding to the second round of the Africa women’s premier football competition.
“We are still in the competition, so we have to keep believing. We hope to get our first win against Algeria,” explained Odemba.
“From these two matches, we have identified areas we need to improve, especially in defence and converting our chances.
“I am disappointed we couldn’t score, but mentally the players responded well. There was a big improvement from the first match. It is still a work in progress.”
Speaking on behalf of the players, defender Vivian Nasaka shared her coach’s disappointment over the missed opportunities but remained optimistic ahead of Kenya’s final group match against Algeria.
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The 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) is taking place from July 26th to August 16th in Morocco, across venues in Rabat and Casablanca. The continent's 16 best sides are competing in groups of four before the knockout stages commence on August 8th.
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Kenya let down by poor finishing
“We still have another chance against Algeria, and we will fight again. Our finishing let us down today,” offered Nasaka.
“We created several clear one-on-one chances but failed to convert them. Tactically, we had the upper hand and created more chances than Senegal, but they took theirs while we didn’t.”
Senegal midfielder Sadigatou Diallo praised Kenya’s performance after helping her side secure a crucial victory.
“Kenya played very well. We are happy to have scored today after failing to find the net in our last match. It was a difficult game at times, but the most important thing was getting the win,” said Diallo.
Late in the night in Rabat, Morocco gave Kenya a sigh of relief following their hard-fought 1-0 victory against Algeria at the El Hassan Abdallah Moulay Stadium.
The result by the Atlas Lionesses means that Kenya is still in the tournament but will need to beat Algeria by at least six goals to progress and pray that Morocco beat Senegal in the last Group A match on Monday.
