Odemba explains how FIFA Series will shape Harambee Starlets' WAFCON squad

Harambee Starlets head coach Beldine Odemba was left impressed by the squad that featured for the country in the just-concluded FIFA Women's Series and revealed that the tournament will play a crucial role in shaping her final team for the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).

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The gaffer hinted at a more extensive role for most of the current squad after Kenya finished the tournament with a silver medal, which showed the importance of continuity heading into the continental showpiece.

The Starlets’ brave quest for the inaugural FIFA Women’s Series title ended in a 2-0 defeat to the Australian women's national football team on Wednesday evening, but not before the Kenyan girls gave the world-ranked side a genuine scare in front of a capacity crowd at Nyayo National Stadium.

Goals from Sam Kerr, the Chelsea captain, and midfielder Clare Wheeler were enough to secure the trophy for the visitors.

Still, the night belonged as much to the resilience, energy, and growing belief within Odemba’s side as it did to the clinical Australians, who had to dig deep to get over the line.

The four-nation tournament, hosted by Kenya and featuring India and Malawi, served as a timely and competitive test for the Starlets as they continue preparations for WAFCON, set to kick off on 25 July in Morocco.

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Speaking to the press after the match, the former Police Bullets coach said there are minimal chances of making changes to the squad that featured in the FIFA Series, with the majority likely to make the plane to Morocco.

“We shall see because it will depend on whether we have injuries, and if we do not have them, so far we have a good squad. At least we have seen people who are building the stadium. There is a small chance we might have a change of the squad, one or two; we are happy,” Odemba explained.

The former Highway Secondary School head coach further noted that she was impressed by her charges, who kept at bay some of the world’s finest players and restricted them to just two goals in the final.

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However, she identified areas of concern, particularly in front of goal, where Kenya created numerous chances but failed to convert, a factor she believes must be addressed ahead of upcoming international assignments.

“The girls did well; they did their best and played according to instructions. We created a lot of chances again, and we kept getting opportunities. Now we really need to work on capitalizing on them; one chance, one goal is what we are looking forward to,” she added.

The Premier League-winning coach with Police Bullets was also left awed by the turnout at Nyayo, praising fans for creating an electric atmosphere and urging them to continue supporting the team beyond the tournament.

“We had a great atmosphere. It has been a long time since we played in a stadium this big, and we are happy that fans came out for us. At least we have started getting the atmosphere of playing in bigger stadiums. I am very happy. I really want to thank the fans for showing up and giving the girls their support, and I hope that they continue following Harambee Starlets and supporting us,” she said.