Harambee Starlets have suffered a 4-1 penalty shootout defeat to Zambia after a 1-1 draw in their opening match of the Four Nations Tournament at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Lusaka on Saturday evening.
The result sees the Copper Queens advance to Tuesday's final against Zimbabwe, while Kenya will face Lesotho in the third-place playoff.
Kenya endured the worst possible start as Zambia took the lead after just three minutes. Prisca Chilufya poked the ball home from close range to give the hosts an early advantage.
The Copper Queens controlled much of the first half and looked comfortable in possession, but Harambee Starlets remained organised defensively and prevented the hosts from extending their lead.
Despite Zambia's dominance, Kenya stayed in the contest and gradually improved after the break as coach Beldine Odemba's side began to show greater attacking intent.
Zambia made several changes in the second half, introducing fresh legs as they sought to protect their slender advantage. However, it was Kenya who found the next breakthrough.
Starlets made a substitution, introducing Marion Serenge, who came on for Lorna Nyarinda in the 65th minute.
In the 77th minute, Fasila 'Kamama' Odhiambo scored to bring the Starlets level and silence the home supporters.
The goal rewarded Kenya's persistence and capped an impressive response after falling behind early against one of Africa's highest-ranked women's national teams.
Both sides pushed for a winner during the closing stages, but neither could find the decisive goal, forcing the match to be settled through a post-match penalty shootout under the tournament format.
In the shootout, Zambia showed their quality and composure from the spot. Irene Lungu, Racheal Kundananji, Saliyah Mwanza and Ochumba Oseke all converted their penalties as the Copper Queens secured a 4-1 victory.
Although Kenya lost the match, there were plenty of positives for Odemba and her technical bench. The Starlets recovered from an early setback, matched Zambia for long periods and demonstrated the fighting spirit that will be needed when they compete at the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations.
The performance also underlined Kenya's growing competitiveness against the continent's elite sides, with the Starlets once again proving capable of challenging a Zambian team that has featured at the FIFA Women's World Cup, Olympic Games and recent WAFCON tournaments.
Attention now shifts to the third-place playoff against Lesotho as Kenya continues their preparations for next year's continental showpiece.
Comments
Sign in with Google to comment, reply, and like comments.
Continue with Google