Harambee Starlets jet back, eye win on Saturday

Harambee Starlets Train at Kasarani.
Harambee Starlet team during training at Kasarani in preparations for the Olympic Qualifiers tournament to be held in Botswana this weekend, May 19th, 2015. PHOTO/ JONAH ONYANGO.
 

The national women’s football team, Harambee Starlets jetted back yesterday from Gaborone, Botswana with big expectations despite suffering 2-1 defeat in the fourth round of CAF women’s Olympic qualifying tournament last Friday.

Head coach David Ouma is confident ahead of the second leg set for Saturday saying the training they had in Gaborone after the match will be of great help to the team.

“We have been training since Saturday and will continue to prepare for the return leg because we need nothing less than a win over our opponents to qualify for the next round,” said the tactician.

The Zebras (female) of Botswana are expected to jet in this Thursday for the fixture with the Starlets remaining in camp at Kasarani to prepare for the fixture.

Team captain Wendy Achieng’ echoed Ouma’s sentiments saying the team is more focused and ready to deliver positive results.

“Winning is our main idea here. We played well away and managed one away goal. The morale is high and as a team, we have agreed put more effort to make sure we achieve a win,” said Achieng’.

The Starlets need to beat Botswana 1-0 to qualify to the next round as they have an advantage of an away goal.
The winner from this round will meet either South Africa or Gabon in the third round of the tournament.

South Africa have an upper hand after winning 3-2 away in Gabon. In another encounter played at the weekend, She-Polopolo of Zambia defeated neighbours Zimbabwe 2-1 in the first leg match in Lusaka.

Nigeria and Cameroon who will represent Africa in this year’s Fifa women’s World Cup were scheduled to play their fixtures earlier than other teams so as to be on time for Canada competition set for June 6.

The two teams advanced to the third round as their opponents Mali and Guinea Bissau withdrew from the tournament.

Ghana and Ivory Coast have also qualified for the third round after Egypt and Tunisia pulled out of the tournament.

The tournament will act as a qualification to the 2016 Summer Olympics.