Harambee Starlets players celebrate a goal against the Gambia in a first leg match of the final round of 2026 Women Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers at Nyayo National Stadium on October 24, 2025.

📋 Breaking It Down

Ann Aluoch, former captain of the Harambee Starlets, believes that Kenya has what it takes to progress beyond the group stage of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon), which kicks off in Morocco on Sunday.

Aluoch, 38, who captained Kenya when the country made its first appearance in the tournament in 2016, said that the current squad has the quality and experience to make more history.

“This team has a good balance of professional players and young talent, some of whom have already played on the world stage. They have what it takes to qualify for the knock-out stage,” Aluoch told Nation Sport on Friday.

📌 What You Need to Know

Despite being drawn in a tough group, Aluoch says Kenya should not be intimidated by opponents. Kenya is ranked 128th in the Fifa standings, well below Morocco (62nd), Algeria (74th) and Senegal (81st).

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Aluoch pointed to Cape Verde’s impressive performance recently at the 2026 Fifa World Cup as proof that underdogs can beat more established teams.

“Look at what Cape Verde did at the World Cup. Everyone considered them underdogs, yet they shocked the world. Football is all about strategy, belief and execution,” said Aluoch.

“It won’t be easy for the players, but qualifying from this group is possible. We can even beat Morocco on their home turf. Our Under-17s recently beat them 2-1 in a friendly, which shows they can be beaten.”

Aluoch urged Kenyans to support the Starlets instead of putting pressure on them.

📰 Source: Nation Africa