Harambee Starlets coach Beldine Odemba has opened up on how she is planning long-term even as he begins preparations for 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Harambee Starlets coach Beldine Odemba is looking at building a team that will serve Kenya for a long time and not just for now as they begin preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifiers.
Odemba named a 26-member squad for the first round of WAFCON 2026 qualifiers that begin with a two-legged clash against Tunisia this month, a tough match that they will have to navigate, to get to the next round.
However, the Kenya Police Bullets coach is looking beyond the qualifiers, saying she wants to build a conveyor belt for talents to the national team that will serve Kenya for a long time.
This is what has informed her selection, having included a number of youngsters into the squad, among them Junior Starlets captain Elizabeth Ochaka, who led Kenya at the Under-17 Women’s World Cup last year, as well as Elizabeth Mideva and Fasila Adhiambo who were part of the U20 setup in 2024.
The Bafana Bafana legend was supposed to have been appointed Harambee Stars coach by January but what has delayed his arrival?
“I have always wanted to build a conveyor belt that can give us a competitive team in the next five or so years and the best way to do this is to start by infusing them into the squad early enough,” Odemba told Telecomasia.net.
“We want them to come in and gain valuable experience and also compete for a place in the team. Once they get used to this level at their young age, it will be easy for them to handle the pressure in the next few years.”
Turning to the qualifiers, Kenya will begin with a home match on February 21 before travelling to Tunis for the return leg four days later and they must win to get into the next round.
Odemba and her charges will have memories of their last WAFCON qualifiers in their mind as they begin the qualification journey as they came close to sealing a ticket to the 2024 tournament in Morocco, which will be played this year, only to throw away the game in the return leg at home to allow Botswana passage.
