Harambee Starlets lost 4-0 against Morocco in their opening match on Sunday, July 26th, before succumbing to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Senegal four days later.
Having lost their first two matches, Kenya will return to action to face Algeria in their final group fixture. The North Africans are in contention to reach the knockout stage as they currently lie second with three points.
A win for Algeria against Kenya will take them to six points, the same number as group leaders Morocco, who will face Senegal in another Group A fixture on Monday.
Speaking at Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat ahead of the fixture to be staged at Olympic Stadium, Odemba underscored the importance of utilising their goal-scoring chances with the team still searching for their first win in the continental competition.
Kenya eying clean sheet vs Algeria
“We have been working on the scoring; it is something which we have lacked for the last two matches,” said Odemba.
“We have also improved on our defence. We conceded one goal in the second match which is different from the four goals allowed against Morocco.
“That is the spirit going into the match; we want to push at least for a clean sheet for our keeper Awuor.”
Kenya’s goalkeeper Lilian Awuor echoed Odemba’s sentiments, saying that the mood in the camp is good and they are beaming with optimism ahead of the ‘do-or-die’ match against the North African heavyweights.
“It’s not over till it’s over. We are prepared enough for the match and we are looking forward to a win so that we can qualify to the next round,” offered Awuor.
“Football is a game of surprises and you never know we may upset the opponents. We have experienced players and young stars and we have good preparations for the match.”
WAFCON 2026
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.
All you need to know about WAFCON | Group standings, fixtures and results | All the latest WAFCON news
‘Kenya a difficult side to beat’
Algeria head coach Farid Benstiti admitted that Kenya is a tough side to beat, having met them four times before.
Benstiti further revealed how difficult it was for Algeria to prepare against Harambee Starlets compared to the other Group A members of Morocco and Senegal.
“Since the draw for this tournament was done, I was very much more worried to meet Kenya than Senegal and Morocco,” said Benstiti.
“We have met before and it’s a very great team with talented players. We have tried to analyse Kenya's data in vain because we couldn’t get it, but we are prepared enough for tomorrow's task.”
After making history by advancing beyond the group stage for the first time at the last Women's AFCON, the Fennecs eventually exited in the quarter-finals after losing to Ghana, who went on to finish third in the competition.
That campaign marked an important milestone for Algerian women's football and provided evidence of the team's growing competitiveness against Africa's traditional heavyweights.
The Fennecs impressed during qualification for this year's finals. They began with emphatic victories over South Sudan, winning 5-0 away before completing an 8-0 aggregate triumph with another commanding performance at home
Morocco leads Group A with six points ahead of Algeria and Senegal, who occupy second and third place, as Kenya are bottom without a point.
The Atlas Lionesses will battle Senegal at the El Hassan Abdallah Stadium in Rabat. All the matches will kick off at 11pm (Kenya time).
Beyond the continental title, WAFCON 2026 also serves as the qualification tournament for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil.
