Harambee Starlets head coach pinpoints weak areas spotted ahead of Women's AFCON
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Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 01.12.25. | 19:35
Odemba says the friendlies were a vital opportunity for the team to gauge the level of competition they will face at WAFCON
Harambee Starlets head coach Beldine Odemba says her team has drawn valuable lessons from their two friendly matches against Algeria during the November international break, as they prepare for next year’s Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.
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Kenya travelled to Algeria for a pair of warm-up games, losing the first 2-1 on Wednesday, 26 November before salvaging a 1-1 draw in the return fixture on Sunday. Mwanalima Adam scored Kenya’s goals in both matches.
Reflecting on the outings, Odemba, formerly of Kenya Police Bullets FC, acknowledged that the first defeat offered important learning opportunities which her team applied in the second encounter.
“In these two friendlies, we lost the first and drew the second one, but we could have performed better. We took lessons from the opening match and learned from them.
It was clear that we gave our best and tried to capitalise on our opponent’s weaknesses. We are grateful we were able to score again,” Odemba explained.
The coach also highlighted areas that still need improvement, pointing to mental toughness, concentration, and the tendency to invite pressure immediately after scoring as weaknesses exposed during the matches.
“We were hoping for the win, and this shows we still have things to improve, especially mental toughness and preparation.
We need greater concentration, particularly in the dying minutes immediately after we score, because we tend to drop back and invite pressure, allowing opponents to capitalise,” she added.
Despite the challenges, Odemba says the friendlies were a vital opportunity for the team to gauge the level of competition they will face at WAFCON and to identify the areas requiring focused preparation.
“This is a valuable lesson for us as a national team preparing for WAFCON. We now understand the calibre of opponents we will face and what we need to work on.
With the support of the Federation and the government, we will focus on thorough preparation for the tournament,” she concluded.
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