Mwanahalima Adam, the captain of the Harambee Starlets, is poised to face Arsenal in the UEFA Women's Champions League with her club HB Køge. The match is scheduled to take place at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night. Adam's journey to this moment has been remarkable, taking her from Thika Queens in Kenya to playing in Turkey, the US, and now Denmark. She will be facing an Arsenal side that won the Champions League trophy last year but has had a slow start to the new season.
HB Køge earned their place in the Champions League by defeating Dutch side PSV Eindhoven 2-1 on aggregate. Adam played in the second leg in Denmark, which ended 1-1, after Køge won the first leg 1-0 in the Netherlands. Domestically, Køge have been performing well, winning their last three A-Liga matches. Their only league defeat this season was a 6-4 loss to FC Nordsjælland on September 5.
Arsenal, on the other hand, has had a mixed start to the Women's Super League, winning one and drawing two of their opening three matches. The Gunners needed a 95th-minute equalizer to salvage a 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Saturday. This Champions League match against HB Køge presents an opportunity for Arsenal to gain momentum in the competition.
Mwanahalima Adam's path to the Champions League has not been straightforward. She grew up in Likoni, Mombasa, and discovered football at Vyemani Primary School. She later joined Thika Queens in 2018 and established herself as one of Kenya's top players. Her talent earned her a spot in Kenya's Under-17 setup in 2015, eventually leading to a senior Harambee Starlets call-up.
A planned move to Swedish club Djurgårdens in 2020 fell through due to a denied visa, keeping her in Kenya longer. She eventually made the move abroad in 2021, joining Turkish club Hakkarigücü Spor. In 2024, she made history by signing for Kansas City Current in the US, becoming the first Kenyan woman to play in the National Women's Soccer League.
Adam then moved to HB Køge on loan in 2025 before making the switch permanent on a deal running until the summer of 2027. She also helped the club claim their first major domestic cup, winning the Danish Women's Cup in May 2026. This achievement showcases her growing success in her football career.
The Arsenal match follows a busy continental summer for Adam, who captained Kenya at the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. Although Kenya exited the tournament at the group stage, Adam's experience and leadership were notable. She had previously missed Kenya's historic 2016 WAFCON appearance while sitting her KCSE exams.
Key points
- Mwanahalima Adam is set to face Arsenal in the UEFA Women's Champions League with HB Køge.
- Adam's journey to the Champions League has taken her from Thika Queens to playing in Turkey, the US, and Denmark.
- The Harambee Starlets captain has had a busy continental summer, leading Kenya at the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations.
