There’s no doubt that the Harambee Starlets will be wary of the threat posed by the dynamic Sevilla attacker Fatoumata Kanteh Cham when The Gambia meets Kenya on Friday in the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Kanteh is in Kenya for the very first time in her career, in a city she believes its people are very welcoming and beautiful.
But aside from everything else, the real test awaits the captain on Friday in the first leg of the final qualifying round set to be staged at the Nyayo National Stadium.
Why Fatoumata Kanteh pledged allegiance to The Gambia?
The 28-year-old was born in Spain to a Gambian father and a Senegalese mother. She was eligible to represent any of the three countries but chose Gambia, a decision she firmly believes in.
“I chose Gambia because it’s my father’s country,” she revealed at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi.
“I love playing for this country, and I’m now looking forward to leading the nation to its first ever WAFCON in Morocco.”
There is a lovely story behind her father getting to Spain. Together with his brother, the pair first went from Gambia to Morocco and continued through African states trying to get a visa to Spain.
They did not have enough money to buy tickets for both of them, so Fatou’s father went first, earned some money, and later brought everyone else to Spain.
Kanteh began her career playing at the youth level for Purqueras before making her professional debut in Spain’s top leagues.
The journey to becoming a professional footballer was not straightforward, as her parents initially opposed her playing due to societal prejudices against women in sports. It was a high school teacher who ultimately persuaded them to allow her to join a team.
Kanteh’s rise as The Gambia’s attacking leader
Her career progressed through several teams in Spain’s top division, Liga F. She played for EDF Logroño from 2018 to 2019, followed by a three-year stint at Sporting Club de Huelva from 2019 to 2022.
She then moved to Villarreal CF, where she played from 2022 to 2024 before joining her current club, Sevilla, at the start of the 2024–2025 season.
The versatile forward has been in fine form for the country since making her debut against Sierra Leone in 2021, a match in which she scored.
A goal in each of the two legs in the first round of the WAFCON Qualifiers against Niger is motivating her to fire her way up to the top.
“The motivation is always to win,” she said. “I’ve come here because I’ve never played in that tournament. So we want to win the first leg here in Kenya and the second leg in Senegal.”
However, the former Villarreal forward notes that the match against Kenya won’t be an easy one.
“It’s not going to be an easy match. Kenya wants to qualify and we also want the same. We have prepared very well and are going to give a fight.”
How Brighton Star Yankubah Minteh inspires her game
Asked about her mentors, Kanteh draws a lot of inspiration from Brighton & Hove Albion attacker Yankubah Minteh.
“In the men’s team, I would say Yankubah Minteh. Mainly because we play the same position, and he’s doing really good at club and country level for us.”
Kanteh has weighed in on the contrast between the Spanish League and playing for the Gambia National Team.
“It’s very different, African football and European football are quite different. It’s now about adapting. When I come here, I play as an African because I have to adapt with my teammates to be on the same level.”
On Friday from 4.00 PM EAT, Kanteh will skipper the West African nation against Kenya with one goal in sight – qualifying for the country’s first-ever WAFCON Tournament.