Year-in-Review: Landmark moment for Harambee Starlets as Odemba guides Kenya back to WAFCON

After a 10-year absence, the National Women’s Football Team sealed qualification for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), marking a triumphant return built on resilience, belief and long-overdue reward.

Kenya booked their WAFCON ticket after eliminating Gambia in the fourth and final round of qualifiers. Denmark-based striker Mwanahalima Adam Jereko proved the difference, scoring the decisive goal in the 59th minute to hand the Starlets a 1–0 away victory on October 28, 2025, at Stade Lat Dior in Thiès, Senegal. The win completed a dominant 4–1 aggregate triumph, following Kenya’s 2–1 first-leg victory in Nairobi.

The qualification ended a long wait since the Starlets’ last WAFCON appearance in 2016, when the tournament was staged in Limbe and Yaoundé, Cameroon, under then head coach David Ouma. For Jereko, the moment carried personal significance — a decade earlier, she had missed out on the continental showpiece while sitting her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.

Kenya’s 2016 campaign in Cameroon proved challenging. Drawn into Group B alongside eventual champions Nigeria, as well as Mali and Ghana, the Starlets exited the tournament without a win. They opened with a 3–1 loss to Ghana, followed by another 3–1 defeat against Mali, before concluding their group stage with a 4–0 loss to the Super Falcons of Nigeria.

Fast forward to 2025, and the road to Morocco has been defined by grit and renewal. Before dispatching Gambia, the Starlets edged past a spirited Tunisian side in the previous qualifying round, securing a crucial 1–0 away victory after a draw in Nairobi. That tie was highlighted by goalkeeper Lilian Awuor’s heroics on February 26, when she saved two penalties to keep Kenya’s dream alive.

Head coach Beldine Odemba, who took over from Alex Alumirah, has been central to the team’s resurgence. She reshaped the squad by blending emerging talent with seasoned experience. Notably, only three players — goalkeeper Lilian Awuor, captain Dorcas Shikobe and midfielder Corazone Aquino — had featured at the 2016 WAFCON.

The historic achievement did not go unrewarded. President William Ruto awarded each player KSh 1 million, in addition to a KSh 10 million cash boost previously donated to the team in recognition of their qualification.

Honours extended beyond financial rewards. During the Jamhuri Day celebrations on December 12, Odemba and Jereko were among the sportspersons conferred with national honours by the President. Odemba received the Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (Third Class) for her leadership of the national women’s team, while Jereko was awarded the Head of State Commendation (HSC).

As preparations begin for the 2026 WAFCON in Morocco — scheduled to run from March 17 to April 3 — the Football Kenya Federation (FKF), in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports, organised two international friendly matches in November. The Starlets lost 2–1 on November 26 before settling for a 1–1 draw four days later on November 30, providing valuable competitive exposure.

With the continental tournament fast approaching, FKF and the Ministry of Sports are now under pressure to line up more high-quality international matches against top-ranked African and global opponents to adequately prepare the team.

Kenya will join a strong field of 16 teams at the continental showpiece, including Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Mali, Malawi, Morocco (hosts), Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia.