Kenya women’s national team head coach Beldine Odemba has challenged her players to be clinical in front of the goal despite securing a comfortable 2-0 win against India in a 2026 FIFA Series encounter at Nyayo Stadium on Saturday.
Harambee Starlets needed a goal in either half to win the second fixture of the day under the sunny city of Nairobi. Martha Amunyolet and Terry Engesha scored for the Starlets in the entertaining contest.
Earlier on, Malawi Scorchers endured a difficult start to their campaign after falling 5-0 to Australia, who took an early lead in the sixth minute, capitalising on a quick attacking move that caught Malawi’s defence off guard.
The tournament will conclude on Wednesday, April 15th, with the third-place playoff set to be played at 2.00 pm, followed by the final at 6.00 pm to determine the inaugural FIFA Women’s Series champion.
Kenya will face Australia while Malawi will come up against India in the third-place playoff. Odemba has challenged her players to produce more goals against Australia, who are the highest-ranked side at 15th in the world.
‘Kenya would have scored more’
“We took in instructions, we watched a lot of clips of India matches, we saw how they are playing,” Odemba told Flashscore.
“We knew their strength, they wanted to play in the middle, and then run with the ball over.
“The players took in the instructions; they played well, we would have gotten more goals, especially in the first half, but as a coach, you always want something to work on.”
Asked to elaborate on how Kenya managed to overpower India, Odemba said: “With girls’ football, sometimes you pick the opponent’s pace, sometimes you play the way the opponent is playing, but if India were sharper, then the girls would have been sharper.
“So, it was a matter of reading the game and seeing what would work for us, especially after getting a goal. We got a little bit comfortable.
“We would have hoped for more goals; we would have hoped the girls could play it all out, but we also have another match on Wednesday.”
Ahead of their game against Australia, Odemba said: “We knew we were supposed to play on Thursday, regardless, and that is why we rested some of the players.
“We were a little bit sad that Ruth (Ingosti) was injured, but I know she watched the match and could see that Nora (Anne) is equal to the task. We have prepared everyone, we have prepared the 24 players that we have in camp, and everyone is ready to face Australia.”
The tournament is serving as part of Harambee Starlets’ preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), set for Morocco from July 25th to August 16th.
“Our best time as the technical bench to integrate and transit players is during these friendly matches,” Odemba opened up. “When we go to the competition (WAFCON), we are hoping the team will have gelled well, that we will be ready.
“It won’t be time for us to see who’s coming in, who’s coming out, but we have ready players for the competition.”
Kenya in Group A of WAFCON
Hosting the FIFA Women’s Series provides Kenya with an opportunity to strengthen key areas of football development beyond match play.
The tournament will support growth in event organisation, operational planning, and match officiating, while also offering valuable experience in managing international competitions.
Kenya have been drawn in Group A of the WAFCON alongside Morocco, Senegal, and Algeria in what promises to be a highly competitive pool.
Kenya secured their place at the WAFCON after a convincing two-legged victory over Gambia in the qualifiers. The Starlets recorded a 3-1 win in the first leg before completing the job with a 1-0 victory in the return fixture.
