- Harambee Starlets will be taking on The Gambia women’s team in the first leg of the final round of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Qualifiers.
- The match is scheduled for Friday, October 24th, at Nyayo National Stadium.
- Kick-off is set for 4 PM local time.
The women’s national football team, Harambee Starlets, will be hoping to make home advantage count when they face The Gambia in the first leg of the final round of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Qualifiers.
The match is scheduled for Friday, October 24 at the Nyayo National Stadium from 4 PM.
The Gambia is the smallest country in continental Africa, with an area of 11,300 square kilometers and a population of just over 2.5 million people.
On Friday, the 23 players selected by Coach Mariama Sowe carry the hopes and dreams of a nation, enclaved by Senegal apart from its Atlantic Ocean coastline, for a maiden appearance at the prestigious tournament.
For the Harambee Starlets, they face the match with a firm resolve to chase a second qualification in history following their 2016 debut where they drew with Algeria but qualified courtesy of the away goals rule.
Only three players from that 2016 tournament in Cameroon are part of the current squad: Dorcas Shikobe, Ruth Ingosi and Vivian Corazone.
This is the first time the two nations are meeting in an international fixture. The Gambia is ranked higher than the Harambee Starlets, holding the 124th position compared to Kenya’s 140th.
Kenya qualified for this round after eliminating Tunisia holding them to a 0-0 draw in Nairobi before securing a 1-0 win away thanks to a strike from Terry Engesha.
The Gambia had a high-scoring fixture, scoring two goals across both legs to secure a 4-1 aggregate win against Niger.
Captain rallies Harambee Starlets
Ahead of the match, Harambee Starlets captain Dorcas Shikobe has maintained that it is a must-win game.
“We are very confident of winning this match. We are not going to let our fans down because we have prepared well,” she said.
“To our fans, just like you do it for the boys, please come and support us. We really need the home crowd.”
Gambia Coach Mariama Sowe eyes statement win
For the Gambia head coach, this qualifier is about making a statement.
“Of course we want to qualify for the WAFCON, but first we have to win this first leg in Nairobi and then the second leg in Senegal. The players have adapted really fast and we are raring to go,” she said.
Kenya aims to add to their history of WAFCON qualification by getting the advantage in the first leg.
The last time they achieved the feat was in 2016 under head coach David Ouma. Despite losing all their matches, valuable lessons were learned.
For players like Mwanahalima Adam, the journey serves as a reminder of her unfortunate omission from the final squad that year.
At the time of the tournament in Cameroon, Adam was sitting for her KCSE exams at St John’s Kaloleni, despite having scored in the first leg against Algeria.
ALSO READ: Gambia names final squad for WAFCON qualifiers vs Harambee Starlets
The Gambia will be banking on the services of Sevilla Attacker Fatoumata Kanteh.
Kanteh, who has scored in the last two matches for her country, has the chance to make The Gambia proud.
ALSO READ: Fatoumata Kanteh, the Sevilla attacker aiming to conquer Harambee Starlets
Harambee Starlets vs Gambia: Recent Form (Last 10 Matches)
Kenya has experienced mixed results in their last 10 matches across all competitions, winning 5, losing 2, and drawing 3.
The Gambia seems plagued by inconsistencies; prior to securing three wins in a row, they had lost five consecutive matches.
The Red Scorpions have won 3 of their last 10 matches, drawn zero, and lost 7.
In their last five WAFCON qualifiers, The Gambia has lost three and won two, conceding eight goals and scoring seven.
Kenya, on the other hand, boasts a relatively solid defense in the WAFCON qualifiers, conceding only two goals in their last five matches.