Harambee Starlets have departed for Tunisia ahead of their second leg of the 2026 WAFCON (Women African Cup of Nations) qualifiers.

The second round of the duel will be played tomorrow at Stade Olympique de Sousse in Sousse, Tunisia. During the first leg of the contest at the Ulinzi Complex in Nairobi, the match ended in a goalless tie putting Starlets tactician Beldine Odemba under fire from home fans who felt she approached the game in a casual manner.

Should Harambee Starlets advance, they will face the winner between Niger and Gambia—bringing them one step closer to securing a spot in the 2026 WAFCON, which would mark their second appearance in the tournament in a decade.

Largely, the squad remains intact with Odemba heading to the North African side with an attack line up consisting nine offensive players. Players to look out for include the Simba Queens trio of Corazon Aquino, Jentrix Shikangwa and Elizabeth Wambui. Others are Austin-USA based forward Mwanahalima Adam, Enez Mango based in Romania, Janet Bundi based in Egypt and Ukrainian based attacker Cynthia Shilwatso.

Meanwhile, coach Salim Babu has selected his U20 team for a mini camp ahead of the AFCON U20 tournament, scheduled to take place from April 26 to May 18, 2025, in Ivory Coast. This camp focuses on identifying talents predominantly from Nairobi and its environs as the technical bench seeks to strengthen the squad ahead of the continental showpiece.

Kenya are placed in Group C with defending champions Senegal, Zambia and Sierra Leone, promising another fiercely contested group.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the quarter-finals along with the two best third-placed teams. From there, the tournament will proceed in a knockout format, culminating in the final on 18 May 2025. Additionally, the four semi-finalists will book their place at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025 later this year, continuing Africa’s proud tradition of excellence on the world stage.