Why Harambee Starlets’ Fine Run in CECAFA Championships Will Not Improve FIFA Standings

The Kenyan women’s national football team, Harambee Starlets, is currently enjoying a dominant run in the 2025 CECAFA Women’s Championship being held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Under the guidance of head coach Beldine Odemba, the Starlets have been in sensational form, most recently dismantling regional rivals Uganda with a resounding 4-0 victory.

This emphatic win came on the back of a 3-0 triumph over Burundi in their opening fixture, raising hopes among Kenyan fans for silverware in the regional competition.

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Despite the Harambee Starlets’ stellar performances, their campaign in Tanzania will unfortunately have no impact on their position in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings.

CECAFA tournaments, including the Senior Challenge Cup and other regional youth or beach soccer competitions, are typically not considered in FIFA’s ranking formula.

The main reason is that these matches are not classified as official “A-international” games, a category reserved for senior national team matches that take place within FIFA’s designated international calendar.

Since 2020, the CECAFA competitions have been inconsistently held and often fall outside the FIFA international match windows.

This lack of standardisation means even otherwise competitive fixtures like Kenya vs Uganda or Kenya vs Burundi do not contribute any ranking points for the participating nations.

Consequently, the Harambee Starlets remain unmoved at position 142 in the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings, as reported by Pulse Sports.

The latest ranking, published on FIFA’s official website on Thursday, reflects Kenya’s stagnant progress.

Odemba’s side also retains 24th place in Africa, underscoring the need for more exposure in FIFA-recognised tournaments to enhance Kenya’s international reputation and ranking.

Until Kenya consistently features in and hosts official international friendlies or participates in FIFA-sanctioned competitions like the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations or World Cup qualifiers, their on-field victories in CECAFA will remain symbolic rather than statistically impactful.