Why Harambee Starlets coach wants friendly against South Africa before WAFCON
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Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 16.12.25. | 19:38
Kenya qualified for the continental tourney for the first time in a decade following a 4-1 aggregate win over The Gambia
Harambee Starlets head coach Beldine Odemba has opened up on her team’s desire to play South Africa in a friendly match in preparation for the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
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Kenya qualified for the continental tourney for the first time in a decade following a 4-1 aggregate win over The Gambia.
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In preparation for the tournament that will be held in Morocco from 17 March to 3 April 2026, Odemba, who spoke to the media on the sidelines of the FKF and Acakoro Football Academy partnership unveiling, explained why she is eying high-profile friendlies.
“We have one more calendar match before we play in the WAFCON. We have already made our request, we want to play against South Africa, and we also have two more teams that we are courting
We have requested FKF to bring South Africa here because we are excited to play at home. We want to build a fanbase because we want people to see us and identify with us, not just during the major tournaments,” said Odemba.
The former Mathare United assistant coach also disclosed the desire to host more teams in order to hand her side valuable minutes ahead of the tourney.
“We want to play with a good team, and I want to have South Africa first in the list. We have proposed to have a Four-Nation Tournament with us hosting, if possible.
However, that would be dependent also on how the pools will look because if we are in the same pool, I do not think either of us will be excited to play the other,” she added.
The former Kenya Police Bullets FC tactician also noted the lessons from her team’s recent friendly matches against African giants Algeria.
“We had a taste of WAFCON playing against Algeria, and there are very tiny things that make us lose. The federation and ministry have a lot to do, and we also have our part to play,” she explained.
