This archive report was first published on 16 November 2019.
Published on November 16, 2019, the Harambee Starlets of Kenya are set to begin their Cecafa title hunt at the 2019 Council of East and Central African Football Association (Cecafa) Women's Championship in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The 10-day competition, which kicked off on Saturday, features eight countries, including Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Djibouti, Tanzania, South Sudan, Burundi, and Zanzibar. Kenya is in Group 'B' with Uganda, Ethiopia, and Djibouti, while Group 'A' has Tanzania, Burundi, Zanzibar, and South Sudan.
Kenya's Harambee Starlets are still reeling from their recent Olympic Games qualifiers loss to Zambia's Shepolopolo, but head coach David Ouma is optimistic about their chances in the Cecafa tournament. 'We have learned a lot from the Olympic qualification matches, and we intend to use those lessons to get to the finals,' Ouma said.
Starlets' forward Mwanahalima Adam expressed confidence in the team's preparedness, stating, 'We are well rested and prepared for the match. The players have no injuries. We plan to take Ethiopia down with great experience gained after playing Zambia recently. We are not undermining them but we know how good we are.'
The top two teams from each group will proceed to the semi-finals, with the winners in Group A facing the runners-up in Group 'B' and the winners in Group 'B' facing the runners-up in Group 'A'.
On Saturday, Burundi's 'Swallows' will open their campaign against Zanzibar, while the defending champions Tanzania will take on South Sudan in the evening.
