Harambee Starlets begin final rally for WAFCON ticket at Nyayo
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Reading Time: 2min | Fri. 24.10.25. | 10:25
A win over the two legs will send Kenya to Morocco 2026, the first WAFCON edition to feature 16 teams, with the top four nations earning automatic qualification to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil
Harambee Starlets are in action on Friday, 24 October at Nyayo National Stadium as they take on Gambia in the first leg of the final round of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Qualify.
Beldine Odemba’s Starlets are looking to qualify for the continental showpiece for the first time since their maiden appearance in 2016, then under head coach David Ouma.
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“We are ready to face Gambia and have no injury concerns. The morale in camp is high, and the mood is very positive. We have watched footage of Gambia’s recent matches and understand their strengths and weaknesses. I am confident of this victory that moves us closer to qualification,” Odemba offered ahead of the clash.
Starlets will be buoyed by their performance in the previous round, where they stunned Tunisia, away, 1-0, on 26 February, courtesy of an early goal from Tereza Engesha, following a goalless draw at home.
A win over the two legs will send Kenya to Morocco 2026, the first WAFCON edition to feature 16 teams, with the top four nations earning automatic qualification to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
It is, however, no easy task for Odemba’s charges, who have three players from that 2016 tournament in Cameroon, as they face a side ranked higher, as Gambia are placed 124th compared to Kenya’s 140th.
The tactician, however, is not short of talent, in addition to the three, skipper Dorcas Shikobe, Ruth Ingosi, and Vivian Corazone, who featured in the 2016 competition.
Ahead of the match, Shikobe has maintained that it is a must-win game, urging fans to show up in numbers for the much-needed support.
“We are very confident of winning this match. We are prepared for whatever they throw at us. To our fans, just like you do for Harambee Stars, please come and support us. We really need the home crowd,” Shikobe offered.
Striker Mwanahalima Adam, who played a crucial role in the 2016 qualification but was not able to play at the tournament staged in Ghana, as she sat for her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams, leads a legion of foreign-based players adding to the side’s depth.
