Seynabou Mbengue fires Senegal past Kenya to revive WAFCON 2026 knockout hopes

Seynabou Mbengue's first-half goal proved decisive as Senegal secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Kenya in their Group A clash at the 2026 TotalEnergies CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco on Thursday.

The crucial victory reignited Senegal's hopes of reaching the quarter-finals after their opening defeat to Algeria, while Kenya's chances of advancing suffered a major setback following a second consecutive loss in the tournament.

Senegal started brightly and deservedly took the lead when Bineta Seck picked out Mbengue with a well-weighted pass. The forward made no mistake, unleashing a powerful finish beyond goalkeeper Lilian Awuor to give the Lionesses an early advantage.

Kenya responded with greater urgency and nearly equalised before the break. Captain Mwanalima Jereko came close with a long-range effort in the 41st minute, but her strike sailed narrowly over the crossbar.

Senegal almost doubled their lead moments before halftime when Ndeye Awa Casset found space inside the penalty area. However, Awuor produced an outstanding save to tip the effort onto the crossbar, keeping Kenya firmly in the contest.

The East Africans continued to press after the restart, with Fasila Omondi testing goalkeeper Adji Ndiaye early in the second half, although her effort failed to trouble the Senegal shot-stopper.

Kenya squandered a golden opportunity in the 62nd minute when substitute Marion Serenge found herself in a promising position but fired her effort wide of the target.

As the match entered its closing stages, Kenya piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser. Tereza Obunyu struck the woodwork after cutting inside her marker, and the rebound fell kindly for Jereko, whose follow-up effort was brilliantly saved by Ndiaye to preserve Senegal's narrow advantage.

Despite relentless late pressure from the Harambee Starlets, Senegal defended resolutely to claim all three points and move back into contention for a place in the knockout rounds.

The victory leaves Senegal in a strong position heading into their final group. A fixture against tournament hosts Morocco, where another positive result could secure qualification for the quarter-finals. Kenya, meanwhile, must now rely on a favourable outcome in their final group match to keep their hopes of progression alive.