Harambee Starlets player Mwanalima Adam trains at Stade Lat Dior in Thies, Senegal, on October 27, 2025, ahead of Kenya's match against Gambia in a 2025 Women's Afcon qualifiers.
Exactly 10 years ago, Mwanalima “Dogo” Adam was a fresh-faced, 18-year-old schoolgirl worrying about what any teenager would at this age, including Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations.
Adam was a Form Four student at St John’s Kaloleni Girls High School, Kilifi, and a talented football player good enough to make the national women’s team Harambee Starlets.
Kenya had qualified for the 2016 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, for the first time in history, and were all set for the continental showpiece in Cameroon from November 19 to December 3 of that year.
The complication for Adam was that the dates coincided with those for the KCSE national examinations she was due to sit for.
Education came first for the upcoming striker and she opted to drop out of the team rather than defer her studies, missing out on what would be a historic outing for Harambee Starlets.
Growth and opportunities
Adam, now an assured 28-year-old international player and captain of the Wafcon-bound Harambee Starlets, is philosophical about her football journey.
President William Ruto hands over the Kenyan flag to Harambee Starlets captain Mwanalima Adam at State House, Nairobi, on July 14, 2026.
"Missing the last tournament was God's plan. He denied me that opportunity, but has now given me another one for a reason. I will play my part and leave the rest to Him," said Adam, who has scored 19 international goals since making her senior debut in 2015.
"I will grab this opportunity with both hands. I won't play as Dogo or as someone who missed the 2016 tournament. I will play for the Kenyan flag and make sure we achieve our best as a country," she added.
Kenya made their Wafcon debut in Cameroon under the current Mathare United coach, David Ouma.
They bowed out in the group stages after losses to Ghana (3-1), Nigeria (4-0) and Mali (3-1).
Besides Adam, goalkeeper Lilian Awuor and defender Enez Mango are the other surviving members of Kenya's 2016 Wafcon squad.
Awuor, then a student at Nyakach Girls High School in Kisumu County, travelled to Cameroon but did not make an appearance, while Mango withdrew from the final squad after securing a job opportunity in Rwanda.
Adam hailed the steady growth of women's football in Kenya, saying more players are now securing professional contracts abroad.
"We are role models for the next generation and it is encouraging to see young girls wanting to follow in our footsteps. I hope the women's game continues to receive more investment because that is the only way we will achieve the success we all want."
Kenya, coached by Beldine Odemba, have been drawn in a difficult Group “A” alongside hosts Morocco, Senegal, and Algeria, but Adam insists the Starlets are heading to North Africa to compete and not make up the numbers.
"Our strength will be teamwork. We are not going there as underdogs; we are going there to compete."
The tournament will also serve as Africa's qualifier for the 2027 Fifa Women's World Cup in Brazil, with the four semi-finalists earning automatic qualification.
Born and raised in Likoni, Mombasa, Adam began her career at National Women's Super League side Mombasa Olympic Ladies before joining Thika Queens (now Kenya Police Bullets) in 2018.
Harambee Starlets player Mwanalima Adam celebrates at Stade Lat Dior in Thies, Senegal, on October 28, 2025, during their match against Gambia in a 2025 Women's Afcon qualifier.
The proven goal poacher was the 2020/21 FKF Women's Premier League joint top scorer with Violet Nanjala on 19 goals each. She won the league title that season with Bullets, who were unbeaten.
Adam's performances earned her a move to Turkish side Hakkarigücü Spor in 2021, where she scored 11 goals in her first 17 matches. She was later given the club captaincy. In the 2023/24 season, she scored 24 goals for the Turkish club.
She made history in 2024 by becoming the first Kenyan woman to play in USA’s National Women's Soccer League after joining reigning champions Kansas City Current.
Last year, Adam moved to Danish giants HB Køge on loan before signing a two-year deal.
Harambee Starlets player Mwanalima Adam trains at Stade Lat Dior in Thies, Senegal, on October 27, 2025, ahead of Kenya's match against Gambia in a 2025 Women's Afcon qualifiers.
Last month, she celebrated another career milestone with HB Køge, who won the Danish Women's Championship to complete a domestic double, having earlier lifted the Danish Women's Super-Cup. Adam scored four goals in 17 appearances for the club.
The much-travelled Adam captained Harambee Starlets to a runners-up finish at the inaugural 2026 Fifa Series in Nairobi and later led Kenya to a third place finish at the Four Nations Tournament in Zambia, where she was named the Most Valuable Player.
Since making her senior debut in 2015 after progressing from the Under-17 national team, Adam has become one of Kenya's most influential players. She was part of the Starlets squad that lifted the 2019 Cecafa Women's Championship.
“The remaining part is now for us to go and showcase the kind of game we have,” she said before the team flew out to Miramas, France for a week-long training camp.
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