2025 Recap: The year Harambee Starlets made long-awaited comeback to continental stage
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Reading Time: 4min | Fri. 02.01.26. | 09:54
President William Ruto personally congratulated the players and technical bench, rewarding Kshs1 million to each member for the outstanding performance
2025 will forever be remembered as the year Kenyan women’s football roared back onto the continental stage.
The Harambee Starlets, under the guidance of coach Beldine Odemba, ended a nine-year wait by qualifying for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), marking only their second appearance since their debut in 2016.
Qualification journey
Kenya’s campaign was a masterclass in resilience, tactical discipline, and determination.
The journey began with a tightly contested first-round qualifier against Tunisia.
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At Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium, the Starlets were held to a 0-0 draw, a result that disappointed fans, especially after striker Jentrix Shikangwa was benched until late in the game.
Undeterred, Kenya regrouped and secured a narrow 1-0 victory away in Tunisia, advancing to the final round of qualification.
In the decisive round, Kenya faced The Gambia. A commanding 3-1 first-leg win in Nairobi set the stage for the return leg in Thiès, Senegal, on 28 October 2025.
With composure and tactical precision, Mwanalima Adam scored the only goal of the second leg, completing a 4-1 aggregate triumph and cementing Kenya’s place at WAFCON 2026.
Coach Odemba’s strategic adjustments proved crucial.
The introduction of Vivian Nasaka at right-back and pairing Tabitha Amoit with captain Ruth Ingosi in central defense fortified the team.
At the same time, goalkeeper Lilian Awuor’s commanding presence kept the Queen Scorpions at bay.
Combined with the team’s attacking flair, these elements propelled Kenya to a historic qualification.
Celebration and recognition
The team’s achievement did not go unnoticed. President William Ruto personally congratulated the players and technical bench, rewarding Kshs1 million to each member for the outstanding performance.
This was an addition to the Kshs 10 million they had received after beating The Gambia in the first leg.
Beyond national recognition, CAF ensures substantial financial incentives for participating teams.
WAFCON 2026 champions will receive $1 million (Approximately Kshs 128,850,000 on current exchange rates), runners-up $500,000 (Kshs 64,475,000 on current rates), and all other placements guaranteed prizes down to Kshs 16 million for group-stage participation. Kenya’s minimum guaranteed earnings will provide critical funding for the development of women’s football nationwide.
The Confederation of African Football has approved the expansion of WAFCON from 12 to 16 teams, beginning with the 2026 edition in Morocco.
Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mali, and Egypt have been added to the competition, joining the 12 nations that had already qualified: Morocco, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, Algeria, Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Cape Verde, South Africa, and Senegal.
Africa’s powerhouses, Nigeria, seeking their 11th title, and South Africa, will headline the tournament, while regional rivals such as Tanzania, Senegal, and Ghana add extra competition.
WAFCON 2026 also serves as the CAF qualifying tournament for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with the four semi-finalists earning direct World Cup slots and the next two best-ranked quarter-finalists entering a play-off.
For Harambee Starlets, this represents a historic opportunity to reach their first-ever Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Preparations
Coach Odemba has been clear about her vision for the team ahead of the tournament, emphasizing that preparation will be key to competing at the highest level.
She stated, “We must ensure we prepare adequately. We do not want to go as participants. We want to go there in Morocco and compete with the best. We know what happened in Cameroon. We must double our efforts and make it better in Morocco.”
She has also expressed her desire to organize competitive matches ahead of the tournament, particularly against top teams like South Africa, to sharpen the squad and build a stronger fanbase at home.
“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,” she said
“We want to build a fanbase because we want people to see us and identify with us, not just during the major tournaments. We want to play with a good team, and I want South Africa to be at the top of 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.”
From their debut in 2016 to this historic qualification, Kenya’s women’s team has demonstrated resilience, talent, and ambition.
2025 will be remembered as the year Harambee Starlets reclaimed their place among Africa’s elite, probably heralding a new era for women’s football in Kenya after years of little to no support.
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