Senegal and Kenya enter their second Women’s Africa Cup of Nations match with very little room for another mistake.
Both teams lost their opening fixture, failed to score and still have to face one of the Group A leaders. Senegal will end the group stage against Morocco, while Kenya will meet Algeria.
Before turning their attention to those matches, they face each other at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat on Thursday. It will be the first meeting between the two nations.
The result will not mathematically settle either team’s fate, but it could leave the losing side on the brink of elimination. Even a draw would provide little comfort ahead of the final round.
Senegal had the ball but could not find the net
Senegal began the tournament with a 2-0 defeat against Algeria.
The Teranga Lionesses had 53% possession and attempted 11 shots, but only two were on target. Algeria weathered their strongest spells and struck at two decisive moments: Marine Dafeur opened the scoring from the penalty spot shortly before half-time and Mélissa Bethi sealed the victory in the 88th minute.
The result broke a pattern Senegal had established across their previous two appearances. They had won their opening match in both 2022 and 2024 before reaching the quarter-finals on each occasion.
They now need a response to avoid entering the final round knowing they have to beat the hosts.
Senegal produced some of their most promising attacking moments during the second half. Mama Diop tested Chloé N’Gazi from distance, while Seynabou Mbengue added greater threat out wide after coming on.
Improving their accuracy in the final third will be their immediate priority. Senegal also failed to score in either of their two qualifying matches against Ivory Coast and needed a penalty shootout to secure their place in Morocco.
Kenya must rebuild after a damaging 13 minutes
Kenya held out during the early stages of their meeting with Morocco but conceded three goals between the 19th and 32nd minutes. Sakina Ouzraoui, Maryame Atiq and Ibtissam Jraidi settled the contest in the space of 13 minutes. Jraidi completed her brace after the interval to seal the 4-0 victory.
Goalkeeper Lilian Awuor prevented the margin from becoming even greater as the hosts dominated. Kenya spent much of the match defending close to their own penalty area and struggled to support their forwards after regaining possession.
The context should be different against Senegal. The Harambee Starlets will no longer be facing a host nation pushed forward by its home crowd and expected to dominate, but another team that must also take risks in pursuit of its first victory.
Head coach Beldine Odemba insisted after the opening game that Kenya still have a chance and said her team would study which areas they could exploit against Senegal.
Kenya are making only their second appearance at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and their first since 2016. They lost all three group matches on their debut. Avoiding defeat on Thursday would ensure they enter the final round with their hopes still alive.
When and where is Senegal vs Kenya?
Senegal face Kenya at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat on Thursday, 30 July.
The match kicks off at 18:00 in Morocco and 19:00 in Spain. Morocco and Algeria will then complete the second round of Group A fixtures at 22:00 in Spain.
Senegal vs Kenya
Thursday, 30 July · 19:00 in Spain
Rabat Olympic Stadium (Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex)