Two penalty misses in open play, one at home and another away to Botswana’s The Mares, will probably be blamed for national women’s football team, Harambee Starlets exit from the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).The Beldine Odemba-coached side was playing in the final round of qualification and needed a win away to ensure a return to the continental showpiece for the first time since their debut in 2016.Full-time Botswana 1-0 Harambee Starlets (Aggregate 2-1)Botswana qualify for the 2024 WAFCON in Morocco. Hard luck Starlets. #FootballKE pic.twitter.com/nZWqAQb460— Ole Teya (@TeyaKev) December 5, 2023 Having wasted their home advantage, playing for a one-all draw and missing a penalty at the death that would have given the side an advantage, Starlets repeated their sins in Gaborone, missing another shot from the spot to lose the away match 1-0 and 2-1 on aggregate.Having wasted their home advantage, playing for a one-all draw and missing a penalty at the death that would have given the side an advantage, Starlets repeated their sins in Gaborone, missing another shot from the spot to lose the away match 1-0 and 2-1 on aggregate.After a mostly quiet first half with several chances and half chances going unconverted on both ends of the pitch, Kenya was handed what felt like a lifeline to take the lead in the series for the first time, eight minutes into the second half.Junior Stars storm CECAFA U18 final with shoot-out win over TanzaniaWhether memories of Violet Nanjala’s penalty that was saved by Mamelodi Sundowns’ star keeper Maitumelo Bosija, went through Cynthia Shilwatso’s mind as she stepped up to take the shot remains a mystery. However, for Bosija, as she said in her post-match interview, it was something she had thought about all week and was ready to handle. She stretched to the right of her goal, where Shilwatso had slotted her kick and was able to put a single hand on the ball and push it out for a corner, breaking the hearts of Kenyan players and fans for the second time.##NAJAVA_MECA_7722654##Eight minutes later, against the runoff play as Kenya was trying to get themselves back into the clash, Keitumetse Dithebe, scorer of the lone goal in the 1-1 first-leg draw found the back of the net once again to take her side ahead, the goal eventually becoming the match and series winner. The forward received a through pass from Refilwe Tebogo, beating the offside trap Starlets were trying to set up before lifting the ball over advancing keeper Lilian Awuor who had already gone down to meet the ball and her attempts to use her hands to stop the ball proved futile.
