Harambee Starlets confident of FIFA Four Nations third-place finish

The Beldine Odemba-coached side fell short of reaching the tournament's final after a grueling battle against hosts Zambia, bowing out 4-1 on post-match penalties following a hard-fought 1-1 draw.

Speaking ahead of today's clash, Harambee Starlets captain Mwanalima Adam expressed immense pride in the team’s resilience against the highly-ranked Zambians, urging her squad to maintain focus for a strong finish against Lesotho.

"Losing on penalties is always painful because we gave everything on the pitch," said Adam. "We conceded very early but showed great character to fight back and equalize.

“The focus now shifts entirely to Lesotho. We want to finish this tournament on a high and give Kenyan fans the result they deserve."

Head coach Beldine Odemba echoed the captain's sentiments, emphasizing that the tournament serves as a crucial build-up for the upcoming continental assignments, specifically the Women's Africa Cup of Nations ,WAFCON preparations. Despite Lesotho being ranked considerably lower, Odemba warned her troops against underrating them, insisting that they do not entertain the underdogs tag.

"We do not believe that they are underdogs. We respect all our opponents. We shall play as we have prepared, so the same way we faced Zambia is the same way we will face Lesotho," Odemba stated.

“The mood in camp is as good as it was when we came. The team is geared up and it is good that the players understand.

“We want to see where we are and we really respect our opponents, we are not looking down upon anyone or at rankings.

“We have never underrated a team and we are looking forward to a team that will give us competition that we are looking forward to face at WAFCON."

Having extensively scouted their opponents ahead of the 4:00 PM clash, Odemba expressed confidence in their tactical preparations after reviewing Lesotho's previous matches.

"I have watched their matches, two matches; one from COSAFA and I have also watched the match against Zimbabwe so I know what they can do and what they can give. We are looking forward to having a podium finish," she added.

The Starlets are expected to maintain the core of their starting eleven, with captain Mwanalima Adam pulling the strings in midfield alongside assistant captain and match one goalscorer Fasila Adhiambo, Martha Amunyolet, and Tereza Engesha.

The backline will continue to be marshalled by veteran Ruth Ingosi alongside Vivian Nasaka and Elizabeth Ochaka, as the technical bench decides whether Annedy Kundu or Vivian Shiyonzo starts between the sticks.

The third-place playoff match kicks off at 4:00 PM, with the winner securing the tournament’s bronze medal.