This archive report was first published on 11 November 2019.
The Tokyo Olympics qualifiers have reached a crucial stage as Kenya's Harambee Starlets face Zambia's Shepolopolo in the return leg at Nkoloma Stadium, Lusaka, on November 11, 2019.
Kenya's national women's football team needs a high-scoring draw or a win to progress to the final qualifying round, after the first leg ended in a 2-2 draw at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, on November 8, 2019.
Kenya's coach, David Ouma, acknowledged the task ahead, saying, "We could have defended better in the first leg, but I think Zambia have very physical and quality players who gave us a lot of troubles on the wide areas."
He added, "But as a coach, I'm not worried at all and we are going to work on how to destabilise their flanks. We have known Zambia's strengths and therefore they are still beatable even at their own backyard. It's still a 50-50 situation, we have a chance and we are going to take it with both hands."
Meanwhile, Zambia's coach, Bruce Mwape, warned his charges not to get carried away by the two away goals, saying, "It is not over yet and we can't celebrate the two goals because we still have another 90 minutes of football to play in Lusaka. We will only celebrate after the final whistle in Lusaka."
The winner of the tie will advance to the final qualifying round, where they will face either Cameroon or Ivory Coast, with the winner directly qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, while the loser will play Chile in the inter-confederation playoffs.
