{"id":6619,"date":"2025-11-01T22:26:54","date_gmt":"2025-11-01T22:26:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tandaomedia.co.ke\/?p=6619"},"modified":"2025-11-01T22:27:21","modified_gmt":"2025-11-01T22:27:21","slug":"tmg-sports-37","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tandaomedia.co.ke\/index.php\/2025\/11\/01\/tmg-sports-37\/","title":{"rendered":"HARAMBEE STARLETS RETURN TO CONTINENTAL GLORY AFTER NINE YEARS."},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n

BY FLORENCE SIMIYU.<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harambee Starlets have secured their place in the 2026 Women\u2019s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Gambia in the return leg of the final qualification round at the Stade Lat Dior in Thi\u00e8s, Senegal. The win sealed a 4-1 aggregate triumph, marking Kenya\u2019s return to the continental stage for the first time since 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kenya\u2019s decisive moment came in the 56th minute when Mwanalima Adam found the back of the net with a composed finish, ensuring the Starlets booked their ticket to next year\u2019s tournament in Morocco. The result capped off a dominant qualification campaign in which Kenya outplayed their opponents both at home and away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head coach Beldine Odemba expressed pride in her players\u2019 resilience and determination, praising their discipline and focus throughout the qualifiers. \u201cWe must ensure we prepare adequately. We don\u2019t want to go as participants, we want to go to Morocco and compete with the best,\u201d she said after the match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Odemba reflected on the team\u2019s long journey back to the continental stage, noting that the qualification was a result of years of persistence and rebuilding. \u201cWe\u2019ve waited for this moment for a long time. The girls have shown great character and heart in every game. It hasn\u2019t been easy, but we stayed focused and believed in our goal to bring Kenya back to the WAFCON stage,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Harambee
Harambee Starlets players celebrate after scoring a goal against Uganda, during the 2025 Cecafa Senior Women’s Championship campaign at Azam Sports Complex in Chamazi, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on June 17, 2025.<\/mark><\/sub><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The coach, who has been instrumental in nurturing new talent and fostering teamwork within the squad, highlighted the importance of continued preparation ahead of the 2026 tournament. \u201cEvery training session, every friendly, every camp has built us up to this. The players deserve all the credit for their discipline and effort. We are proud of what we\u2019ve achieved, and now we look ahead to Morocco,\u201d said Odemba.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kenya\u2019s qualification marks a significant milestone for women\u2019s football in the country, reigniting hope and passion among fans who have longed to see the national team compete among Africa\u2019s elite once again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apart from Kenya, other nations that have booked their places at next year\u2019s WAFCON include hosts Morocco, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ghana, Nigeria the defending champions ,Malawi, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With renewed energy and confidence, Harambee Starlets will now shift focus to preparation, aiming not just to participate but to make a strong statement on the continental stage when they step onto the Moroccan turf in 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BY FLORENCE SIMIYU. Harambee Starlets have secured their place in the 2026 Women\u2019s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6611,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6619","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nHARAMBEE STARLETS RETURN TO CONTINENTAL GLORY AFTER NINE YEARS. - Tandao Media<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"With renewed energy and confidence, Harambee Starlets will now shift focus to preparation, aiming not just to participate but to make a strong statement on the continental stage when they step onto the Moroccan turf in 2026.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tandaomedia.co.ke\/index.php\/2025\/11\/01\/tmg-sports-37\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"HARAMBEE STARLETS RETURN TO CONTINENTAL GLORY AFTER NINE YEARS. - 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