Kenyans were over the moon after Harambee Starlets managed an away win over Tunisia in a Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifier match.Tunisia hosted Kenya in the return leg of the preliminary phase on Wednesday 26 February at the Sousse Olympic Stadium with the match ending 1-0 in favour of Starlets.WAFCON Q: Lilian Awour saves two penalties as Harambee Starlets overcome stubborn TunisiaStarlets needed a win of any kind to progress, and had Tereza Engesha to thank as she found the back of the net early in the first half, a goal that was the difference between the two sides.Goalkeeper Lilian Awuor was the hero of the day after saving two penalties in the match; the first one in the first half where she equally saved the rebound, and in the second half where she did not even spill it.The win was the first time in Harambee Starlets’ 19 years of competing in WAFCON qualifiers that they won a match away from home, and Kenyans took to social media to express their feelings after the match led by President William Ruto.##NAJAVA_MECA_8736133##“Congratulations to Harambee Starlets on your hard-fought victory over Tunisia in Sousse, Tunisia, securing a place in the second and final round of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Qualifiers! Against all odds, you stood tall, fought hard, and delivered a performance that has made our nation proud.Kenya stands firmly behind you. Your journey inspires millions, and your determination embodies the true spirit of our nation.Keep the fire burning and keep winning!Hongera, Starlets!,” posted the President on his X (formerly Twitter) account.Congratulations to Harambee Starlets on your hard-fought victory over Tunisia in Sousse, Tunisia, securing a place in the second and final round of the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) Qualifiers!Against all odds, you stood tall, fought hard, and delivered a performance… pic.twitter.com/KLoY3zVPUR— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) February 26, 2025 Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya also took to the same platform to praise Starlets for their hard fought victory.“Congratulations to the Harambee Starlets on their fantastic victory against Tunisia in the qualifier match! Your hard work, resilience, and team spirit continue to make Kenya proud. This win is a testament to your dedication and talent, and we celebrate this incredible achievement with you. Keep shining and pushing forward—Kenya stands behind you all the way,” posted Mvurya.On the popular Facebook group KPL Chat, fans continued to express their feelings after the match.“That goalkeeper (Awuor) is the real Kenya 1. No one else should be called using that name,” said Walta Malavy.Top Keeper + Top Coach = 🔥🔥🔥#HarambeeStarlets #WAFCONQualifiers pic.twitter.com/TEbw7KpEaZ— Harambee Starlets (@StarletsKE) February 26, 2025 Former Harambee Stars goalkeeper and Sofapaka goalkeeper coach Willis Obungu on his part asked Kenyans never to give up after the criticism that the team faced in the first leg.“I don’t like people who give up so easily. Let us not be people who give up easily.”Duncan Opwapo, in his best Kenyan element, wanted to bless Awuor with some financial token.“Keeper alete number tutume ka kitu aki (The goalkeeper should give us her contacts so that we send her some money),” he stated.David King Onjili through his KenyanRegista blog, thought that all praise should go to coach Beldine Odemba, just the same way she received criticism after the barren draw in the home tie.Nicholas Muyoti linked to role in Benni McCarthy’s technical bench“To the average fan. When a team wins, it is the players but when they lose it is the coach’s job. What a thankless job.Congratulations to the girls, TB, federation and fans for this win. We celebrate it. A happy day for Kenyan football. We slept with our shoes on,” he posted.Becharo Omari wanted Kenyans to ask Beldine Odemba for forgiveness for the criticism after the first leg.“The whole of the week, fans have spoken harshly on Odemba. I think it is time to ask her for forgiveness,” he posted.Peter Ndiragu felt that Starlets were just lucky to win and was not impressed with the performance.“Let us face it, we just got lucky. We had so many misplaced passes, several mistakes at the back that led to the two penalties. We just have the goalkeeper to thank for the win. A lot still needs to be done.”OPINION: With former footballers at FKF’s helm failure has no excuseWicky Cliffe welcomed the win but also noted areas that need improvements.“The goalkeeper was great. The team should learn to have confidence while with possession. Only jersey number 2 (Mwanalima Adan) had the confidence of playing the ball minus pressure. Every time the ladies had the ball they thought of just passing or shooting anyhow, ending up losing possession so easily,” he noted.Former FKF Vice President Doris Petra also expressed her joy and solidarity with Odemba.Blow to AFC Leopards, Gor Mahia as Mashemeji Derby postponed once again“Coach Beldine Odemba, Mungu mbele sisi nyuma (God leads as we follow).”Starlets will now face Gambia in the second round of qualifiers, with the winner of the tie booking a place in the WAFCON.The two-legged tie will take place on 20 October 2025 and 28 October 2025, where Kenya will host the first leg.
