Kenya's Harambee Starlets launched their journey toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games with a historic 11-0 victory over Seychelles at the Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi. The host nation's relentless attack featured five double-scorers, as Valarie Nekesa, Elizabeth Muteshi, Airin Madalina, Elizabeth Mideva, and Mercy Airo each struck twice alongside a Martha Amunyolet goal. This commanding display marked a successful opening fixture for new head coach Geoffrey "Solo" Oduor.
The Starlets wasted no time asserting control on home soil, pinning Seychelles deep inside their defensive third from kickoff. The early pressure paid dividends in the eighth minute when forward Valarie Nekesa met a well-weighted cross to volley home the opening goal and unlock the floodgates. Despite Seychelles attempting to pack their penalty box, Kenya doubled the advantage in the 25th minute through midfielder Elizabeth Muteshi.
Muteshi displayed determination inside a crowded penalty area, wriggling past two defenders before driving a low finish into the net. Nekesa capped off a dominant opening half two minutes before the interval, latching onto a precise through ball to slot past the oncoming goalkeeper for her second of the afternoon. This gave Kenya a three-goal halftime cushion, setting the tone for a clinical attacking display.
Any hopes Seychelles harbored of mounting a second-half response were erased within minutes of the restart. Muteshi struck her second in the 53rd minute after converting a low delivery across the six-yard box, before Airin Madalina made it 5-0 at the hour mark with a curling effort. Oduor's tactical substitutions injected fresh energy into the frontline, turning territorial control into a full-scale rout.
Substitute Elizabeth Mideva struck twice in quick succession, while Mercy Airo recovered from earlier missed chances to add two clinical finishes of her own. Martha Amunyolet also etched her name onto the scoresheet as the Starlets completed an 11-0 victory. The 11-goal cushion matches the scale of Kenya's historic 12-0 victory over Djibouti in 2019.
This victory provides a strong confidence boost for the Starlets following a challenging Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) group stage campaign earlier in the year. The win places Kenya within touching distance of the next qualification phase, with the return leg set to take place on Monday, October 12, at the same venue.
Speaking after his debut on the senior national team bench, head coach Geoffrey Oduor praised his squad's professionalism and tactical execution. He emphasized the importance of winning the second match to secure safe passage into the third round of the 2028 Olympic qualifiers. With Seychelles lacking a CAF-approved stadium, both legs of the first-round tie are being staged at the Ulinzi Sports Complex.
Key points
- Harambee Starlets secured an 11-0 victory over Seychelles in their 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games qualifying campaign opener.
- The Starlets will return to the Ulinzi Sports Complex on Monday, October 12, looking to complete the aggregate victory and secure safe passage into the third round of the 2028 Olympic qualifiers.
- The victory marked a successful opening fixture for new head coach Geoffrey "Solo" Oduor, with five double-scorers contributing to the commanding display.
