Harambee Starlets thrash Seychelles 11-0 to take commanding grip on Olympic qualifier
Kenya’s women put one foot in the next round of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games qualification with a dominant first-leg victory at Ulinzi
By Martin Weche
Kenya’s Harambee Starlets demolished Seychelles 11-0 yesterday at the Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi in the first leg of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games qualification, producing one of the most emphatic victories in the national women’s team’s recent history.
The result, played on Thursday afternoon before a partisan home crowd, effectively settles the tie before next Monday’s second leg at the same venue. Kenya’s passage to the second round, where the winner of the Malawi versus Zimbabwe tie awaits, is now a formality — though Harambee Starlets will be expected to see out the return fixture with the same clinical authority they displayed in the first.
The goals were shared across the team in a display that underlined both Kenya’s depth in attack and the enormous gulf in quality between the two sides. Foreign-based forward Valary Nekesa led the scoring with a brace, joined by Airin Madalina, Elizabeth Mideva, Mercy Airo, Martha Amunyolete, and Elizabeth Muteshi — each contributing two goals in a performance that was as organised as it was ruthless.
Kenya made their intentions clear from the opening minutes. Nekesa drew first blood in the eighth minute, giving the hosts an early lead that immediately settled any nerves and set the tone for what was to follow. Mango added a second in the 25th minute, extending the advantage before Nekesa struck again in the 43rd minute to send Kenya into the interval with a commanding 3-0 lead.
If the first half was controlled, the second was a statement. Harambee Starlets returned from the break with the same intensity and added eight further goals, overwhelming a Seychelles side that had no answer to the pace, movement, and finishing of the Kenyan attackers. The final scoreline of 11-0 is among the heaviest defeats ever inflicted on a team in the African qualification pathway for the Olympic Games.
The performance will be particularly encouraging for the technical bench given the involvement of foreign-based players, whose quality and fitness added a sharper edge to Kenya’s attacking play. Nekesa, in particular, was a constant threat — her pace and composure in front of goal a reminder of why she has established herself as one of the most dangerous forwards in the regional game. The contributions from Mideva, Airo, Amunyolete, and Muteshi, each finding the net twice, demonstrated a collective attacking ambition that bodes well for the challenges ahead.
Kenya’s women’s football programme has been on an upward trajectory in recent years, with improved investment in player development, foreign-based recruitment, and competitive exposure helping to raise the standard of the national team. Yesterday’s result, while achieved against significantly weaker opposition, reflects the growing confidence and organisation within the squad and the technical staff overseeing the qualification campaign.
The second leg on Monday at Ulinzi Sports Complex is unlikely to alter the aggregate picture in any meaningful way, but it presents an opportunity for the coaching staff to rotate the squad, give minutes to players who featured less prominently yesterday, and fine-tune combinations ahead of the more demanding second round. With a Malawi-Zimbabwe winner to face next, Kenya will need to be sharper, more tested, and ready for a considerably stiffer challenge than Seychelles could offer.
For Seychelles, the scale of the defeat is sobering, though the gap between the island nation’s resources and those of a country the size and footballing ambition of Kenya is significant. Qualification campaigns at this level routinely produce results of this magnitude when the disparity between competing nations is large, and Seychelles will now focus on the second leg as an opportunity to restore some dignity before heading home.
For Kenya, however, the mood is one of quiet confidence and forward momentum. Eleven goals, six different scorers, a clean sheet, and a first-leg lead that makes the tie as good as done — there are far worse ways to begin an Olympic qualification campaign.
The second leg kicks off on Monday at Ulinzi Sports Complex. Kenya’s eyes, though, are already on what comes next.
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