Starlets step up preparations as clock ticks towards 2026 Afcon

Harambee Starlets have stepped up preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) with targeted training sessions on the fifth day of residential training camp at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

The 2026 Wafcon will be held in Morocco from March 17 to April 3.

Ranked 133rd globally, Harambee Starlets will use the Fifa women’s international break between February 27 and March 7 for international friendly matches before the tournament. Football Kenya Federation is yet to name Kenya’s opponents in the two friendly matches.

On February 12, Harambee Starlets coach Beldine Odemba named a provisional squad of 34 players featuring 22 home-based players and 12 who are foreign-based. All 22 local players have reported to camp, but six of the foreign-based players have yet to arrive.

Striker Jentrix Shikangwa, midfielder Fasilah Adhiambo, winger Elizabeth Wambui, and defender Ruth Ingosi, all of whom play for Tanzania Women Premier League side Simba Queens, and Yanga Princess midfielder Lydia Akoth have joined camp. The six remaining players are expected in camp from Monday.

Defender Diana Shakava, captain of the Football Kenya Federation Women’s Premier League (FKFWPL) side Ulinzi Starlets, is among the players fighting for a place in the final squad for the tournament.

“We are being guided, and we are learning from each other, and from the best coaches. I expect to be a better player when I leave camp, and I hope to make the final squad for Wafcon,” said Shakava.

On January 29, coach Odemba named a 24-player provisional squad of local players for a mini-camp. The week-long camp, held from February 1to 6, aimed to identify talent to strengthen the team for the upcoming continental tournament.

Only 10 players from the initial squad impressed and were retained in camp. The team will be whittled down further based on performance in the week-long camp.

Shakava and Kenya Police Bullets goalkeeper Annedy Kundu, and midfielders Medina Abubakar and Lorna Nyabuto, among the 10 local-based players who were retained in the team.

For Shabana Starlets Forward Purity Akinyi, who is the only player called up from the National Women's Super League (NWSL), the experience in camp has been rewarding.

“The experience has been richly rewarding. I have learnt a lot in training from the team and the coaches. It’s all about believing in ourselves,” she said yesterday.

Harambee Starlets are in Group “A” of the 2026 Wafcon alongside hosts Morocco, Senegal, and Algeria. Group “B” of the tournament comprises South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Tanzania, while Group “C” features defending champions Nigeria, Zambia, Egypt, and Malawi. Ghana, Cameroon, Mali, and Cape Verde are in Group “D”.

Harambee Starlets qualified for Wafcon after a decade-long absence, having made their debut in the tournament in 2016 when it was held in Cameroon. At the time, the team was coached by David Ouma.

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