Harambee Starlets head coach Beldine Odemba has highlighted team preparation, match management and tactical approach as the three biggest lessons Kenya will carry forward from their disappointing campaign at the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsKenya's hopes of reaching the knockout rounds came to an end on Monday night after a 2-0 defeat to Algeria at the Olympic Stadium, completing a difficult return to the continental showpiece after a decade-long absence.Millions Gor Mahia stand to bank by winning CECAFA Kagame Cup after 41 yearsThe defeat capped off a winless campaign for Starlets, who had earlier suffered a heavy 4-0 loss to tournament hosts Morocco before narrowly going down 1-0 to Senegal in their second Group A fixture.Kenya exited the tournament rooted at the bottom of the group without a point and failed to score a single goal across their three matches.##NAJAVA_MECA_9879083##While the results fell well below expectations, Odemba believes the experience exposed her side to the standards required at Africa's highest level and provided valuable lessons that could shape the future of the national team.Reflecting on the campaign, the former Kenya Police Bullets FC tactician admitted the team had hoped for a stronger showing but insisted the tournament offered invaluable learning opportunities both on and off the pitch.Partizan give up on Ouma in a surprising twist"We hoped we could have done better against Algeria and in the tournament at large. However, we picked up a lot of positive things from team preparation, being able to see how the matches are played and the tactical approach required when facing established sides. Those are important building blocks for us," said Odemba.The coach noted that competing against some of Africa's elite women's football nations gave her players first-hand experience of the intensity, organisation and discipline needed to compete consistently at the highest level.##NAJAVA_MECA_9878649##Kenya returned to WAFCON having last featured in the competition in 2016, and the gap in experience was evident against opponents with regular appearances at the continental tournament.Morocco, the tournament hosts and finalists in the previous edition, alongside Senegal and Algeria, punished Starlets' inexperience, with Kenya struggling to convert promising moments into tangible results.Harambee Starlets duo issue postmortem after disappointing WAFCON outingStarlets' campaign also highlighted areas that require urgent attention, particularly in attack, where Kenya failed to find the back of the net in three matches.Defensive lapses also proved costly, with the team conceding seven goals during the tournament.##NAJAVA_MECA_9878451##Despite the early elimination, Odemba remains optimistic that the lessons gathered in Morocco will provide a solid foundation for the team's future growth."We picked valuable lessons from this tournament, and they will form the basis for us to move a step higher than the group stage in the next edition," she added.Kenyans express displeasure over Harambee Starlets' poor WAFCON performanceAlthough Kenya's second WAFCON appearance ended in another group-stage exit without a point, the experience has offered the technical bench a clearer picture of the standards required to compete at the highest level.The lessons identified by Odemba are now expected to shape the team's preparations ahead of future continental assignments as the Harambee Starlets seek to return stronger and mount a more competitive challenge in the next edition.