Harambee Starlets put six past Lesotho to bag Four Nations bronze

The Beldine Odemba-coached side bounced back from their opening-match penalty heartbreak against hosts Zambia in spectacular fashion, striking four times in the first half to completely extinguish any threat from the opponents.

The victory ensures the Starlets return home with the tournament's bronze medal and a massive psychological boost ahead of their upcoming international assignments.

Kenya established dominance right from the opening start of the match, taking only 11 minutes to break the deadlock. Violet Nanjala opened the scoresheet, finishing off a brilliant assist from Eglay Mukhwana. Three minutes later, individual brilliance doubled the advantage when Terry Engesha struck directly from a beautifully executed free kick.

The Starlets refused to take their foot off the gas, and in the 27th minute, Fasila Adhiambo turned Terry’s pass into the back of the net for Kenya's third. Nanjala then turned provider just before the break, setting up Mukhwana in the 42nd minute to give the Starlets a commanding 4-0 lead heading into the break.

The second half mirrored the first as Coach Odemba’s side maintained tactical discipline while continuing to display a masterclass performance. The standout moment of the half came in the 65th minute when Eglay Mukhwana scored again to complete her brace.

These goals marked a historic milestone for the Trinity Starlets forward, registering her first-ever international goals in the national team colors. Substitute Catherine Khaemba put the icing on the cake in the 74th minute, capitalizing on a defensive lapse from Lesotho to round up the scoring at an emphatic 6-0.

Having tested squad depth, tactical adaptability against Zambia, and sheer clinical execution against Lesotho, Odemba’s charges exit the tournament with invaluable exposure.

The Starlets will now fly back to Nairobi to resume local training camp as they finalize preparations for the upcoming WAFCON before flying to Morocco in July.