Bullish Harambee Starlets attacker unfazed by big names ahead of clash with Zambia

Harambee Starlets captain Mwanalima Adam pulled no punches on her team’s mentality ahead of their Four Nations Tournament friendly tie against Zambia on Saturday, 6 June, saying the Kenyan squad was not scared of the African powerhouses.

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Adam, speaking a day before the 4PM (EAT) kickoff at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, Zambia, was bullish of her side’s chances, against the highly-ranked Copper Queens, who are also home to some of the best players in world football.

“We don't discuss players in our camp,” Adam, who was part of the Kenyan team that played Zambia twice in 2019 during the 2020 Olympic Qualifiers, said of her opponents star power. “We just focus on training, and then the match will decide. You can't just sit down and discuss how Barbra [Banda], Kundananji[Racheal] and Grace Chanda will play. No, it is not our work. Our work is just playing football, 90 plus minutes,then finish.”

Having secured qualification for next month’s Women Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), Kenya is hoping to use the June friendly games against stronger opposition to best prepare for their second stab in the continental showpiece.

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On facing Zambia, who are ranked a whooping 64 places above Harambee Starlets in the latest FIFA rankings, Adam drew strength from her team’s performance during the home FIFA Series friendlies in March, when Kenya put on a strong showing against Australia, to only lose 2-0.

“Going with the ranking, you know Zambia is a big team, with big names, but as you can see, football is now not only about big names or teams, it is about 90 minutes deciding it,” Adam said.

“In March we played against Australia, a good team too, but we didn’t play them like a big team with big names,” the midfielder added. “We just went there, and played our game, and did very well. So even this one [vs Zambia], we will tackle them the same way.”

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As per the tournament’s format, the winner of Kenya’s game against Zambia will play the winner of the other Saturday tie between Zimbabwe and Lesotho on Tuesday, 9 June.

The losers of the twin Saturday matches will also face off on the same day on Tuesday.