Kenya will look to capitalize on home advantage when they commence their 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifiers on Friday against Tunisia at the Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi.The second leg of this crucial tie will be held on Wednesday 26 February at the Sousse Olympic Stadium in Tunisia.The Harambee Starlets have been in camp for the last two weeks under the guidance of experienced coach Beldine Odemba, completing their final training session on Thursday morning with a squad of 28 players available for selection.##NAJAVA_MECA_8720340##This will be the first-ever meeting between the two sides, with Tunisia entering the match as favourites due to their higher FIFA ranking and WAFCON experience.Ranked 71st globally, Tunisia has competed in two continental finals (1962, 2022) and will be looking make their third appearance at the rescheduled 2024 WAFCON in Morocco this July.Kenya, ranked 151st, has only participated in one WAFCON appearance in 2016, where they struggled in Group B, losing to Ghana (3-1), Nigeria (4-0), and Mali (3-1).In 2023, the Starlets came close to qualifying but were eliminated 2-1 on aggregate by Botswana in the final round of the 2024 WAFCON qualifiers, despite defeating Cameroon in the first round via penalties.Corazone and Wambo have one message for you—see you at Ulinzi on Friday! ⚽🔥 The stage is set, the team is ready, now we need YOU! Don’t miss out! 🎟️ Grab your tickets: https://t.co/lMvNrHZ3Zj 📍 Ulinzi Sports Complex 🕒 3:00 PM #HarambeeStarlets #KENvsTUN pic.twitter.com/ciUIBN1wzy— Harambee Starlets (@StarletsKE) February 20, 2025 Despite the calibre of the opponents and entering the match as underdogs, Starlets captain Dorcas Shikobe is confident that the team has had one of the best preparations leading up to an international match and is determined to give their best for the Kenyan fans who will show up to support them.”We are prepared and promise to come out victorious. The mood is excellent, and even the youngest players are ready. We are approaching this match like any other, but we know the importance of qualifying. Our motivation is to qualify for WAFCON, just like our fans supported the U-17 team during their World Cup qualifiers. Let them come and support us. We are taking it one game at a time.”Swedish-based Harambee Stars legend slams state of ‘dangerous’ Kenyan stadiaCoach Odemba, meanwhile, acknowledged that the team has been boosted by the arrival of foreign-based players, but she emphasized the importance of fan support. She also confirmed that defender Vivian Nasaka will be unavailable for the tie.”The team had a few days to train with the foreign-based players after the window opened on the 16th, with the last two arriving on Tuesday. The squad is ready, with players well-prepared from their respective leagues,” said the Kenya Police Bullets FC gaffer.”Support from fans is crucial, as home matches offer familiar conditions, while away matches bring unforeseen challenges,” she added.”Nasaka will not be available, but we have a replacement ready. In previous qualifiers, overconfidence after victories against Cameroon and Botswana was an issue. The team is now focusing on their mental approach and feels much calmer this time.”How a call from Charles Okere convinced midfielder to pick Tusker over ShabanaThe match will kick off at 3:00 PM (EAT) and will be broadcasted live on KBC and streamed on the Harambee Starlets’ Facebook page, allowing fans who cannot attend to follow the action.Tickets for the match are available online via this link, with prices marked at Ksh 500 for VIPs and KSh100 for regular seats. Purchases can be made in advance by dialling *51955# or through the online platform.##NAJAVA_MECA_8720335##Tickets will also be available at the stadium on match day, with payments accepted via M-Pesa only, as cash transactions will not be permitted.The winner of this two-legged tie will face either Niger or Gambia in the final qualifying round, scheduled between Monday 20 and Tuesday 28 October.Gambia leads 2-0 over Niger after their first-leg match on Wednesday at Stade Général Seyni Kountché in Niamey.
