Harambee Starlets Target Home Friendly Against Banyana Banyana Ahead of WAFCON 2026

Harambee Starlets coach Beldine Odemba believes playing against South Africa’s Banyana Banyana will be key in preparing her side for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

With the tournament set to kick off on July 5 in Morocco, Beldine Odemba says testing themselves against the defending champions will offer a clear picture of the level required to compete on the continental stage.

Harambee Starlets secured their spot in the 2026 showpiece after successfully navigating a two-round qualification campaign. In the first round, they overcame Tunisia with an impressive away victory to advance on a 1-0 aggregate scoreline.

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They then sealed their return to the continental tournament for the second time by defeating The Gambia with a convincing 4-1 aggregate win in the final qualifying round.

“We have one more calendar match before we play in the WAFCON in July. We have already made our request, we want to play against South Africa, and we also have two more teams,” Beldine Odemba said in a video shared by Tata Sports.

“We have requested FKF to bring South Africa here because we are excited to play at home. We want to build a fanbase because we want people to see us and identify with us, not just during the major tournaments.”

Beldine Odemba also reflected on Harambee Starlets' previous experience of their friendlies against Algeria, noting that small details made the difference in their matches. Harambee Starlets lost the first leg of the match 2-1 before holding the hosts to a 1-1 draw in their return leg.

She acknowledged that both the federation and the ministry have important roles to play, while the team also has responsibilities to ensure success.

Beldine Odemba expressed optimism about the team’s prospects, emphasising that their goal is not just to participate but to perform well and ultimately secure World Cup qualification.

“We had a taste of WAFCON playing against Algeria, and there are very tiny things that make us lose. The federation and ministry have a lot to do, and we also have our part to play,” Beldine Odemba added.

“We’ve had discussions, but we want to have two friendly matches at home, we want to play with a good team, and I want to have South Africa first in the list. Even though it will be a four-nation tournament with us hosting, it will be nice.”

Meanwhile, Harambee Starlets' qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup hinges entirely on their performance at the upcoming WAFCON.

Africa has four direct World Cup slots, which will be awarded to the four semi-finalists of the WAFCON tournament.

If Harambee Starlets manage to win their quarter-final match and reach the final four, they will secure a historic debut World Cup appearance in Brazil.

Additionally, the losing quarter-finalists will compete for two slots in the Inter-Confederation Play-Off Tournament, offering a second, albeit tougher, qualification path.