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Harambee Starlets carry 19-year-old away winless run to Tunisia
Harambee Starlets players pose for a team photo before their 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers first round, first leg match against Tunisia at Ulinzi Sports Complex, Nairobi on February 21, 2025. The return leg will be played on February 26, 2025 in Sousse, Tunisia.
What you need to know:
- Odemba conceded that they were let down by poor finishing but was optimistic of turning around the fixture as she had done enough homework on the Tunisians.
- Tunisia coach Kamaal Saad said Kenya gave them a hard time. He added that playing away from home was easier for them than playing at home.
Harambee Starlets will be looking to end a 19-year old jinx of never winning away from home in Women’s Africa Cup Nations qualifiers when they play Tunisia Wednesday in Sousse, located some 140 km south of the capital Tunis.
Since Starlets first appeared in Wafcon qualifiers in 2006, they have never won away from home in 10 consecutive encounters, drawing thrice and losing seven times.
This includes their successful 2016 campaign to qualify for the finals. Under this shadow, Harambee Starlets coach Beline Odemba is expected to make changes in their 2026 Wafcon qualifiers first round second leg match against Tunisia from 6pm (Kenyan time) at the 40,000-capacity Sousse Olympic Stadium with the round finely poised at 0-0 from the first leg encounter on Friday at Ulinzi Sports Complex, Nairobi.
A 23-member Starlets playing squad arrived in Sousse Tuesday at 5.30am, Kenyan time, aboard a private jet and were scheduled to have a feel of the Olympic Stadium in the evening of the same day.
The winner will meet Gambia in the second round. Gambia edged out Niger 2-1 at Stade Lat-Dior, Thies in Senegal on Monday for an aggregate 4-1 victory.
Starlets are indeed a poor travelling team. In 2006 they lost 4-0 to Cameroon in Yaounde. Kenya did not participate in the qualifiers again until 2014 when they were edged 1-0 by Rwanda away in the first round.
In the Wafcon away qualifiers since 2016, Starlets drew 2-2 against Algeria, 0-0 against both Uganda and Ghana. Their losses were 2-0 to Equatorial Guinea, 3-2 to Malawi, 1-0 to both Zambia and Cameroon.
Their most recent loss came in 2023 during the qualifiers for the postponed 2024 Wafcon tournament, falling 1-0 to Botswana.
In addition to the away record, Starlets head coach has come under close scrutiny. The under-fire Odemba and her technical team have been called out for poor fielding during the home draw.
Starlets struggled to pump in the goals despite their domination in Nairobi.
The team played without an out-and-out striker for 50 minutes raising questions as to why top goal getters Rebecca Okwaro, Jentrix Shikangwa, Janet Moraa, and Violet Nanjala were not started or brought in early in Nairobi.
Striker Elizabeth Mideva was introduced in the 50th minute to replace midfielder Adhiambo to no effect.
Odemba also made another substitution that raised eyebrows in the final five minutes of added time, removing substitute Mideva for the experienced Shikangwa who showed her worth with her hunger for the ball.
She delivered two dangerous crosses in the few seconds she was on the pitch.
Odemba conceded that they were let down by poor finishing but was optimistic of turning around the fixture as she had done enough homework on the Tunisians.
Tunisia coach Kamaal Saad said Kenya gave them a hard time. He added that playing away from home was easier for them than playing at home.
Mind games perhaps?