Veteran striker, Mwanahalima Adam Jereko, has bemoaned indifference from the government during the period Kenya women’s football team Harambee Starlets has been in training camp.
The team has been in residential training camp at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, in Nairobi, in preparation for the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) scheduled for Morocco from March 17 to April 3.
The players, coached by Beldine Odemba, concluded their local training programme on Friday and were due to fly out to Cote d’Ivoire on Saturday morning for a series of friendly matches.
The veteran striker said the team has been treated to “deafening silence” by the government, adding that no government official visited the team during the two-week training camp to check on the progress of the players.
“No one has visited us in camp so far, yet moral support is as crucial as the training itself. It will not be okay if we travel (to Cote d’Ivoire without President William Ruto’s blessings. Mr President and Sports CS Salim Mvurya, show up for the girls the same way you showed up for Harambee Stars during the African Nations Championships. This is a big tournament,” the striker said on Friday.
“Since we arrived in camp, our fate has been unclear. Our fate has been left to God,” Adam said, adding that failure by government officials to visit the team’s training camp was demoralising.
The 25-member squad was due to leave Nairobi for Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on Saturday at 4am for two friendly matches.
Kenya will play the hosts on March 2, then take on Benin on March 4 in the second build-up match.
The team will then head to Miramas, southern France, for a 10-day residential camp, then fly out to Rabat, Morocco on March 15.
“Our coaches and players have done their best, but we haven’t heard from President Ruto, nor Sports CS Salim Mvurya. We would have liked to meet the president for motivation before we leave,” Adam, who helped Harambee Starlets qualify for 2016 Wafcon but did not travel with the team for the tournament itself, said.
Kenya is in Group “A” of 2026 Wafcon alongside hosts Morocco, Senegal, and Algeria. Kenya will begin her campaign in the tournament against Morocco on March 17, followed by a match against Senegal on March 20. Both fixtures will be played at Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat.
The Kenyan girls will then play Algeria three days later at Al Medina Stadium in Rabat in their last group stage match.
“We’re not just going to participate in the tournament, we’re going to compete, and our target is to attain qualification for the World Cup. We will surprise many Kenyan fans in the tournament. Our group is challenging, but everything is manageable,” Adam noted.
Should Kenya reach the semi-finals of the tournament in Morocco, the team will qualify for 2026 Fifa Women’s World Cup scheduled for Brazil from June 24 to July 25. The top four teams will qualify for the World Cup directly, with two more advancing to the inter-confederation play-offs.
“Football is unpredictable; there are no underdogs anymore. We’ve played Morocco and Algeria in friendlies and understand their style. They should be worried about us, too,” she added.
“We’re ready to fight. The 90 minutes will decide our fate. I missed the 2016 edition of the tournament, and I’ve been waiting for this tournament. I’ll give my all so I have no regrets; it’s my time to shine. A win will demonstrate our country’s football growth.”
About the team’s preparations, Odemba said, “I won’t say that we are satisfied because, as a coach, we always want more. We planned home matches against South Africa, Malawi, and Zambia to prepare for the tournament, but the plans were disrupted by the Cosafa tournament. Despite this, I believe the two matches will be beneficial.”
