Starlets to pitch camp next week ahead of Zambia friendly

Kenya women's national football team, Harambee Starlets, will report to camp on Wednesday next week in readiness for their international friendly match against the Copper Queens of Zambia on April 24.

The match — courtesy of an invitation by the Zambian Football Association — is part of preparations as the ladies' battle for a place at the 2022 Africa Women's Cup of Nations in Morocco and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. 

Head coach David Ouma is oozing confidence ahead of the fixtures, mincing no words about his ambitions for the team. 

“I am glad to achieve our milestone of standing at the top in East Africa, right now, we are aiming to achieve our next milestone which is to be the team to beat in Africa.

"Our aim is to first qualify for the 2022 AWCON in Morocco and hopefully take advantage of the direct entry slots to the 2023 World Cup that will be held in Australia and New Zealand, ” Ouma said. 

Kenya will be scrambling for a slot among the six set aside for Africa at the global event.

The Starlets have a brilliant chance of securing direct entry to the most coveted global showpiece if they attain a top-four finish at the 2022 Awcon although it won't be a walk in the park. The remaining two slots will be allocated through a  playoff.

The ladies have risen to the 124th position (986 points) in the latest FIFA Women ranking, a marked improvement from their 133rd position in 2019. 

Apart from the Zambia tie, Football Kenya Federation have lined up an array of friendly matches this year to sharpen the team for their mission. 

"Three international windows have been lined up, between February 15-24, April 5- 13, and  June 7-15. It is during these windows that the team will take part in the 2022 AWCON Qualifiers as well as friendly matches,"  FKF said in a statement.

And in May, keen eyes will firmly be fixed on the Starlets as they seek to replicate their feat in Tanzania where they dethroned the host nation to lift the 2019 CECAFA Women Championships.

On Friday afternoon, the squad received Covid -19 vaccination at the Kasarani WRC Centre in an exercise conducted by the Ministry of Health in partnership with the Ministry of Sports and FKF.