Harambee Starlets face Cameroon in Cup of Nations qualifiers
Harambee Starlets players warm up during a training session at Japoma Annex Grounds in Douala, Cameroon on September 19, 2023.
What you need to know:
- Kenya have been training at Japoma Amnex Grounds in Douala.
The first leg match will be played at Stade De Réunification de Douala, Douala in Cameroon from 7pm, local (9pm Kenyan time).
The aggregate winner of the two-leg tie will meet the winner between Gabon and Botswana in the second round later this year.
Kenya women's national team will on Friday face hosts Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon in the first round of the 2024 Women Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON)qualifiers.
The first leg match will be played at Stade De Réunification de Douala, Douala in Cameroon from 7pm, local (9pm Kenyan time).
The aggregate winner of the two-leg tie will meet the winner between Gabon and Botswana in the second round later this year.
The winner will qualify for the Cup of Nations to be held in Morocco next year.Kenya and Cameroon last met in the Wafcon qualifiers in 2006 with the Central Africans humiliating Harambee Starlets 9-0 on aggregate to qualify for the fifth edition of the tournament in Nigeria. Kenya lost 4-0 and 5-0 in Yaounde and Nairobi respectively.
The teams then met twice in 2016 in international friendly matches on October 22 in Nairobi and November 6 in Yaounde with Indomitable Lionesses winning both matches 1-0 and 2-1 respectively.
Cameroon are ranked third in Africa and 56th in the world respectively in the latest Fifa rankings while Kenya are 28th in the continent and 147 globally.
The statistics place Cameroon as the hot favourites heading into this match.This will be the first assignment for head coach Beldine Odemba, who took over from former coach Godfrey Oduor a month ago.
Speaking on Tuesday upon arrival in Douala, Odemba admitted that the game isgoing to be tough but they are prepared.
“We are very optimistic as a team ahead of the match.Cameroon is good having played in this tournament a number of times. We have only qualified once for this tournament but we know what it takes to go through. We have done enough preparation and the team is ready,” said Odemba.
Starlets failed to honour their last qualification match for the 2022Wafcon after Fifa suspended the country from all football activities over government interference.
And now Starlets winger Mercy Airo believes this is the best time for theKenyan lasses to show the world what they are made of.
"The weather in Cameroon is hot but the team is adjusting and remains determined to fight till the last minute. With hard work and determination, we have what it takes to shine away from home. We will make our country proud onFriday (today)," Airo told Nation Sport on Thursday.
Kenya have been training at Japoma Amnex Grounds in Douala.
“There are no small teams in Africa these days. This our first game and all of us are focused. We are Lionesses and we will do our best. When we also go to Nairobi, we will make sure we come back home with victory," Cameroon winger Brenda Ebika Tabe said earlier this week in a press conference.
