Harambee Starlets head coach Beldine Odemba was over the moon after her charges romped into the second round of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Tuesday.
The gallant Starlets beat Cameroon 4-3 on post-match penalties to secure a 5-4 aggregate win that fired them into the next stage of the competition.
It was all song and dance after Sheryl Angachi blasted in Kenya’s final spot kick to send the partisan stands into a celebration frenzy.
Mercurial midfielder Cynthia Shilwatso scored from a set piece to secure Kenya a vital 1-0 in regulation time, sending the closely contested encounter into penalties.
The Indomitable Lionesses arrived in the country’s fancied to carry the day, having edged Kenya 1-0 in the first leg of the qualifier played in Douala on Friday last week.
“I’m happy with the results and happy for the team. We have made the country proud and we hope to keep the momentum going,” Odemba said in a post-match interview.
“We played well and looked more organised. The changes we made also injected some zest into the team and I must thank the players for displaying a good match today,” Odemba said.
“We have some exciting new players coming up, who were outstanding against Cameroon.
Odemba said they would resume camp shortly to sharpen their claws more ahead of the second round. "Our focus now shifts to the next round and we are patiently waiting to know who we shall be meeting between Gabon and Botswana,” Odemba said.
She lauded her team for shaking off the stage fright that partly influenced the outcome of their first leg encounter. “I was quite impressed by how well we played. There is some apprehension because you are at home, and there is also the 12th-man component.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve played in front of a full stadium, so you can understand why it took them a while to settle into the game, but they did, and we played well,” Odemba remarked.
“I recall hearing them say during the rematch press conference in Cameroon that they defeated us 9-0 overall the last time we faced them. They only defeated us 1-0, which demonstrates the progress that has been made,” the coach noted.
Cameroon head coach Jean Baptiste Bissek said they experienced a bad day in office. “We were just unfortunate to have lost to Kenya because I still believe we were the better team," he said.
“Our opponents gave us a good match and they have earned our respect. I also noticed that our players were not as enthusiastic as they were back home in Cameroon.”
It was the first time that Kenya had managed to beat Cameroon. Starlets will now lock horns with the winner between Gabon and Botswana.
