By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
Kenya’s senior women’s football team, the Harambee Starlets, went goals-crazy by walloping hapless Seychelles women’s team 11-0 away from home in the first leg of the second round of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games Women’s Football Tournament African qualifiers played at Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi in Kenya with Referee Cacilda Fernando of Mozambique in the centre.
The match hosted by Kenya due to lack of CAF-approved international stadiums in Seychelles was turned to a training session early as the 8′ when Wendy Nekesa who scored a brace in the 43′ broke the deadlock.
Thereafter, four other Kenyan players scored a brace each. They are
Joy Muteshi 25′, 54′;
Cynthia 61′, 82′; Mercy
Airo 86′, 90+1′ and Vivian Mideva 87′, 90+3′ while Doreen Amunyolete helped herself with one goal in 87′ to complete the coup ‘d grace against the host Seychelles on the day.
Both countries will meet again on Monday, October 12, 2026 for the second leg of the double-header at same Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi in Kenya.
Elsewhere, Burkina Faso hammered Equatorial Guinea 3-1 yesterday at 4 August Stadium in Ouagadougou with goals from Asissatuo Konaté 7′ and a brace by Atiba Ouoba 21′, 72′ ensured that the home team won convincingly although Equatorial Guinean Valeria Mendoua scored in 64′ as the return leg is slated for Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at Equatorial Guinea’s adopted home venue
Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium, Yaoundé in Cameroon.
Also, the Crested Cranes as Uganda’s senior women’s team is known humbled the Copper Queens of Zambia 2-1 in the first leg tie at Hamz Stadium in Kampala, thanks to the goals by midfielder Agnes Nabukenya 34′ and forward Sylvia Kabene 58′.
Despite Zambia’s striker Prisca Chilufya scoring first in 6′ of the game officiated by Referee Zakia El Grini from Morocco, the Zambians returned home empty-handed to prepare for Tuesday’s return leg billed for Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, Ndola.
It was a tight match at
Hammadi Agrebi Stadium, Radès where host Tunisia lost 0–1 to Senegal’s Lionesses of Teranga courtesy of forward Ndèye Awa Casset in 63′
Hammadi Agrebi Stadium, Radès with
Referee Chancelle Ngakosso from Congo handling matters. The second leg is on Tuesday at Leopold Sédar Senghor Stadium, Dakar.
Earlier, Rwanda also lost 0–1 to Ethiopia via an own goal scored by
Erissa Uzayisenga in 45+3′ at Kigali Pelé Stadium, Kigali under the watch of Referee Anaëlle Omanda of Gabon. Both Ethiopia and Rwanda meet again on next Tuesday at Dire Dawa Stadium, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia.
Meanwhile, the second round first leg matches continue today across Africa with Nigeria hosting Comoros at Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo; Malawi and Zimbabwe will meet at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe and Madagascar and South Africa will clash at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
Other fixtures are: -Angola v Namibia
(11 November Stadium, Talatona)
-Botswana v Tanzania (Gaborone Stadium)
-Central African Republic v Algeria
(5 July 1962 Stadium, Algiers, Algeria)
-DR Congo v Ivory Coast
(TP Mazembe Stadium, Lubumbashi).
