Australia head coach Joe Montemurro expressed his satisfaction after the Matildas secured a 2-0 victory over the Harambee Starlets to be crowned champions of the inaugural FIFA Women Series 2026 in Nairobi.
Despite the scoreline, Montemurro was quick to admit that the encounter was a stern test for his side, praising the Kenyan national team for their tactical approach and the local fans for creating a high-pressure environment.
Reflecting on the match performance, Montemurro noted that while the Matildas got the job done, they were pushed significantly by a resilient Kenyan side.
“Look, it wasn’t the best of games. We didn’t control the game very well,” Montemurro admitted.
“All congratulations to Kenya, they came out, they created probably four very good chances. Maybe if we took our chances it could have been worse, but look, I think it was an exciting game.”
While the scoreline suggested a comfortable outing for the visitors, the Harambee Starlets were anything but passive.
The home side created a flurry of chances that kept the Australian backline on high alert. Fasila Adhiambo came agonizingly close to pulling one back when her thunderous strike beat the keeper but rattled off the woodwork.
Moments later, the stadium was nearly brought to its feet when Sharlene Opisa showcased brilliant individual skill, wrong-footing two Matildas defenders in the box before unleashing a shot that required a world-class save from the Australian goalkeeper to keep the clean sheet intact.
Montemurro acknowledged that the Harambee Starlets’ unpredictability provided exactly the kind of tactical challenge he was looking for.
“We came here because we know these nations are unpredictable. Well done to Kenya, they put on a good show and played some good football and sometimes exposed us,” he said.
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A key objective for the Australian technical bench was to expose the squad to hostile and unfamiliar playing conditions. Montemurro was delighted that the Kenyan crowd delivered exactly that
“I want to thank the fans. It was a great, great atmosphere for us. It’s exactly what we needed to play against a parochial crowd and difficult conditions,” he said.
He further explained how this experience directly feeds into their long-term strategy.
“For us, it’s important because we need to play against parochial crowds. When we go to the World Cup and we might have Brazil, and we play against Brazil, it could be difficult. We got exactly what we wanted out of it.”
The Matildas utilized this tournament as part of their preparations for the FIFA 2027 Women’s World Cup.
With established stars like Ellie Carpenter and Mary Fowler rested for this window, Montemurro took the opportunity to integrate several new faces into the senior setup.
Most notably, Melbourne City midfielder Leticia McKenna was handed her debut against Malawi coming off the bench to score the fifth goal.