Coach Odemba banks on youth, experience to shine in Morocco

Speaking on Saturday evening, Odemba said her team is made up of youngsters who represented the country at the 2024 Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic, and others from the team that played in Fifa Under-20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers whom she believes will offer something exciting to the squad .

“The young players have something special to offer. They have already played on the world stage, something the others have never experienced before. They understand the magnitude of major tournaments, and that experience will help us immensely,” Odemba observed.

Last night, Kenya were due to play home team Morocco at Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat.

Morocco is hosting the 16-team biennial tournament at Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium and atAl Madina Stadium in Rabat, as well as at Larbi Zaouli Stadium, Casablanca.

The stakes are high for competing teams since the tournament also serves as Africa’s final qualifier event for the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup which will be staged from June 24 to July 25, 2027 in Brazil.

All the four semi-finalists will automatically qualify for the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup , while two more teams will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs.

Kenya, ranked 124th globally, play in Group ‘A’ alongside hosts Morocco who are ranked 64th, Algeria (74th) and Senegal (81st).

Starlets are making their second appearance at the continental showpiece. Kenya competed in the tournament for the first time in 2016 in Cameroon. On that occasion, Kenya were dumped out at the group stage following defeats to Ghana (3-1), Mali (3-1) and eventual champions Nigeria (4-0).

Harambee Starlets trio of defender Elizabeth Ochaka (17) and forwards Marion Serenge (18) and Valerie Nekesa (17) were part of the Junior Starlets side that represented Kenya at the 2024 Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic and performed exemplary.

Several members of the current Harambee Starlets squad have progressed through the youth ranks and arrive at Wafcon with valuable international experience.

Midfielder Elizabeth Ochaka captained the Junior Starlets at the Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup, while winger Marion Serenge emerged as the fourth-fastest player at the tournament, underlining her pace on the global stage.

Forward Valarie Nekesa also etched her name into Kenya’s football history by becoming the first Kenyan score at a Fifa World Cup when she found the net at the Under-17 Women’s World Cup in 2-1 in Mexico.

The trio graduated to the Rising Starlets (Kenya Under-20 team) and earned promotion to the senior Harambee Starlets squad, highlighting Kenya’s growing youth development pathway.

She added that Kenya’s long-term success will depend on continued investment in youth development, pointing to the recent achievements of the Junior Starlets.

“Our Under-17 team has shown what is possible. Every year we must continue identifying and developing young talent so that in the next four to six years Kenya can become one of the powerhouses of women’s football in Africa,” said Odemba.

Another promising youngster in the squad is 20-year-old forward Fasilah Adhiambo, who captains the Kenya Under-20 team. Other new faces in the Harambee Starlets squad include third-choice goalkeeper Vivian Shiyonzo (24), defenders Euphrasier Shilwatso (23), midfielders Sherline Bangele (21) and Eglay Mukhwana (22), as well as forward Sherleen Opisa (22).

Odemba said the postponement of the tournament from March to July proved beneficial for Kenya, giving the team additional time to prepare through a series of high-quality international friendlies.

“The postponement worked in our favour because it gave us more time to prepare. We played friendly matches against highly ranked teams, which helped us improve. We want to compete strongly because the last time Kenya featured at Wafcon we did not win a single match,” said Odemba.

“I am glad the tournament was postponed because it gave us more time to prepare. We played friendly matches against highly ranked teams and those matches helped us improve. We really want to win because the last time Kenya featured at Wafcon we did not win a single match,” she said.

Odemba also said the matches they played in the Fifa international calendar against stronger opposition has contributed to Kenya’s gradual rise.

“We have honoured every Fifa window, and that has enabled us to play teams ranked above us. It may not have resulted in a huge jump in the rankings, but there has been steady improvement and that is important for our growth,” she added.

Captain Mwanalima ‘Dogo’ Adam, a veteran player, admitted that featuring on the continental stage presents a new challenge but said the squad is embracing the opportunity.

“This is an experience I have always looked forward to because I have never played at this level before. Every team here deserves to be here because they qualified. To grow as a nation, we must test ourselves against the best teams in Africa. That is the only way we will know where we stand,” said Jereko.

Odemba also hailed the rapid growth of women’s football in Kenya, describing her appointment as national team coach as evidence of increasing opportunities for women in the game.

“It is encouraging to see women leading teams at this level. It is the first time my country has had a woman in this position, and now we have more female coaches emerging. Our performances at major tournaments show that women’s football is growing,” she said.

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