Kenya’s national women’s football team, the Harambee Starlets, is gearing up for a challenging fixture on their road to the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
The draw, released by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Thursday, places Kenya against Tunisia in the opening round of qualifiers. The first leg is scheduled to take place between February 17 and 26, 2025, with the return leg set for October 20 to 28, 2025.
The winner of this two-legged tie will progress to the next round to face the victor of the Gambia vs. Niger clash.
Race for WAFCON Spots
Morocco, hosting the tournament for the third consecutive time, qualifies automatically. This leaves 38 nations battling for 11 remaining spots. Among them, reigning champions South Africa, alongside Zambia, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Cameroon, have been exempted from the first round due to their high rankings.
The Harambee Starlets last qualified for WAFCON in 2016. Securing a spot in the 2026 tournament would be a monumental boost for Kenyan football, especially as the nation looks ahead to co-hosting the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Uganda and Tanzania.
A Promising Future
Kenya’s U17 women’s team, the Junior Starlets, recently represented the nation in the 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup. Despite exiting in the group stage, they showed promise by defeating Mexico after losses to South Korea and England.
The Harambee Starlets now have a golden opportunity to build on this momentum. The stakes are high, and the entire nation will be watching as they begin their quest for a coveted spot in the 2026 WAFCON tournament.
