Starlets fine tune for 2026 Wafcon with second friendly against Algeria
Harambee Starlets players celebrate a goal against the Gambia in a first leg match of the final round of 2026 Women Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers at Nyayo National Stadium on October 24, 2025.
What you need to know:
- Harambee Starlets concluded their final training session on Saturday at Nelson Mandela Stadium in the capital Algiers.
- Coach Beldine Odemba thanked Kenyans for their support and promised that the team would do its best at 2026 Wafcon.
Harambee Starlets play Algeria on Sunday in a friendly match from 5pm (Kenyan time).
The match will be played at Mustapha Tchaker Stadium in Blida, about 45 kilometres south-west of the capital Algiers.
Kenya, which lost 2-1 to Algeria in their first friendly played on Wednesday at the same venue, will be seeking to avoid a whitewash against the north African nation.
On Wednesday, striker Mwanahalima Jereko opened the scoring for Kenya in the 15th minute of the match, but the hosts responded with goals in the 47th and 90th minutes of the match.
Harambee Starlets concluded their final training session on Saturday afternoon at Nelson Mandela Stadium in the capital Algiers.
Captain Ruth Ingosi acknowledged that the team made costly mistakes in the first friendly match but emphasized that the team was focussed on improving.
“We really need this win as we prepare for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon). We are going to Wafcon to compete, not just to participate, and these friendlies are truly helping us,” Ingosi, who plays for Tanzania’s Simba Queens, stated.
Harambee Starlets coach Beldine Odemba react on the touchline during the first leg match of the final round of 2026 Women Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers at Nyayo National Stadium on October 24, 2025.
Coach Beldine Odemba affirmed the team’s readiness for the challenge.
“The mood is right. We learnt a lot from the first match, both on and off the pitch. We’ve worked on our shortcomings and hope to give Kenyans a good game,” the Caf ‘A’ License holder said.
“We chose to play Algeria because they also qualified for 2026 Wafcon, providing us with a good test of what to expect during the tournament. We will continue to improve. As a technical team, we are working towards building squad depth,” she added.
Odemba, who was named Sports Journalist Association of Kenya coach for the month of October, thanked Kenyans for their support and promised that the team would do its best at 2026 Wafcon.
Kenya women's football team coach Beldine Odemba displays her trophy after being named SJAK coach of the month for October on November 6, 2025.
Her 23-player squad includes 13 local-based, and 10 foreign-based players, but notable absentees are defenders Tabitha Amoit and captain Dorcas Shikobe, midfielder Lavender Akinyi, and striker Violet Nanjala.
Amoit and Akinyi (Ulinzi Starlets in FKF Women’s Premier League) are undergoing military training, while Nanjala (United Eagles Women Football Club) is recovering from a recent injury.
Shikobe has been replaced in the squad by Elizabeth Ochaka, who captained the Under-17 team at the 2024 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic.
Ampit, Akinyi, Nanjala, and Shikobe were key in the Harambee Starlets’ qualification for Wafcon, helping Kenya win on 4-1 aggregate against Gambia last month. Kenya qualified for Wafcon for the first time in 10 years.
Those returning to the squad are midfielders Emily Morang’a (Kenya Police Bullets), Providence Mukalo (Vihiga Queens), and strikers Valerie Nekesa (Soccer Assassins) and Euphraiser Shilwatso (Kayole Starlets).
Defender Sheryl Muyera (Zetech Sparks) received her first national team call-up.
Familiar faces in the squad include goalkeepers Annedy Kundu (Kenya Police Bullets) and Lilian Awuor (Farul Constanta, Romania).
Harambee Starlets players celebrate a goal against the Gambia in a first leg match of the final round of 2026 Women Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers at Nyayo National Stadium on October 24, 2025.
The defenders are Lorine Ilavonga (Ulinzi Starlets), Leah Andiema (Kenya Police Bullets), Ruth Ingosi (Simba Queens, Tanzania), Vivian Nasaka (Hakkarigucuspor, Greece), and Enez Mango (Farul Constanta, Romania).
The team’s midfield has Medina Abubakar (Kenya Police Bullets), Martha Amnyolet (Vihiga Queens), Corazone Aquino, Fasilah Adhiambo (Simba Queens, Tanzania), and Elizabeth Muteshi (Trinity Starlets).
Mwanalima Adam (HB Koge, Denmark), Catherine Khaemba (Bungoma Queens), Elizabeth Wambui (Simba Queens, Tanzania), Shirleen Opisa (Amus College, Uganda), and Airine Madalina (Vihiga Queens) are in the attack.
Both Kenya and Algeria are preparing for 2026 Wafcon tournament which will be held in Morocco from March 17 to April 3, 2026.
