This archive report was first published on 5 November 2019.
On November 8, 2019, the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) made a bold move to boost attendance at the Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani, where the national women's team, Harambee Starlets, would face off against Zambia's Copper Queens in an Olympic qualifier match.
FKF announced that fans would not be required to pay any cash before accessing the stadium, rallying supporters to turn up in record numbers to cheer the girls to victory at the match, which kicked off at 4pm.
The Starlets were seeking to gain an advantage in the first leg, with qualification to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo hanging in the balance. The return leg was scheduled for November 11 in Lusaka.
Under the guidance of coach David Ouma, the Starlets had reached this stage after eliminating the Black Queens of Ghana on a 1-0 goal aggregate, thanks to an extra-time goal from Gentrix Shikagwa. The Copper Queens, meanwhile, had advanced after edging Botswana on a 3-0 aggregate.
The winner of the two-legged fourth round would go on to meet either Ivory Coast or Cameroon in the fifth and final round of qualification.
Ugandan referee Shamirah Nabaddah was set to take charge of the match, assisted by her compatriots Jane Mutonyi, Nakitto Nkumbi, and Florence Ayaro. Aline Bitagoye from Burundi would serve as the Match Commissioner, while Agar Mezing from Cameroon would serve as the Referee Assessor.
