Harambee Starlets Violet Nanjala, Faith Mboya and Tumaini Waliaula celebrate after their win against South Sudan/ HANDOUT
Harambee Starlets head coach Beldine Odemba is bullish they can extend their perfect run in the 2025 Cecafa Senior Women’s Championship when they take on Tanzania today.
The round-robin tournament kicked off last Thursday in Dar-es-salaam, featuring five teams: Kenya, hosts Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan and Burundi and concludes on Sunday.
Kenya have so far enjoyed a flawless run, recording three emphatic wins on the bounce.
Their campaign began in scintillating fashion with a 3-0 rout of Burundi, powered by an early brace from the in-form Martha Amunyolet in the second and fifth minutes. Faith Mboya iced the cake with a late strike in stoppage time.
The Starlets turned on the style again in their second outing, dismantling regional rivals Uganda 4-0.
Diana Wacera, Dorcas Shikobe, Violet Nanjala and Amunyolet all got on the scoresheet in a rampant display of attacking football. Thursday night saw Odemba’s side maintain their ruthless streak, steamrolling South Sudan 4-0.
Mboya opened the scoring inside two minutes before Nanjala doubled the lead shortly after the restart.
Amunyolet added her third goal of the tournament, and Elizabeth Ochaka sealed the win deep into added time. The trio of victories has propelled Kenya to nine points, level with hosts Tanzania, who sit top, also boasting a perfect record.
With both sides undefeated, Saturday’s showdown has all the makings of a Cecafa classic. Odemba believes her side is primed to rise to the occasion.
"We are preparing the girls well for the final match and trying to do our best," Odemba stated. Odemba, who has overseen a resurgence in the Starlets’ fortunes, is eager to etch a new chapter in Kenyan women’s football history. "We are here to rewrite history and give a better performance than we did in 2019," she added.
Kenya famously lifted their first Cecafa in 2019 after stunning Tanzania 2-0 in the final at Chamazi Stadium. Tanzania's Twiga Stars remain the most decorated side in the competition’s history, having clinched titles in 2016 and 2018.
Despite the weight of the occasion, Odemba insists her squad remains grounded. "We are taking one game at a time, and we will be prepared for the match," she added.
Reflecting on their win over South Sudan, Odemba noted that it was a morale booster heading into the showdown.
"It's not a big win, but it's a good win. It's good for morale because now we have maximum points, nine out of nine," she said.
She pointed out the team's strong display in the second half, which won the match.
"The girls gave their best in the second half, and it was a strong display. In the first half, we did not have good energy."
Odemba also lauded the impact of the tournament in promoting the women’s game across the region. "This is a good competition and it shows that women's football is improving."
"We hope this will be a yearly competition and that more countries will be able to participate," Odemba said.
The competition is aimed at preparing Cecafa’s representative, Tanzania’s Twiga Stars, for the upcoming 2025 Africa Women's Cup of Nations (Wafcon), set to kick off in Morocco in July.
At the 2025 Wafcon, Tanzania is placed in group C alongside defending champions South Africa, Ghana and Mali.
