Kenya: A Perfect Birthday Gift! Beldine Odemba Lauds Starlets' Sharper Attack, Hints At Squad Adjustments Ahead of Wafcon

NAIROBI — Harambee Starlets head coach Beldine Odemba has expressed immense satisfaction with her team's clinical goal-scoring display, revealing that the 6-0 demolition of Lesotho served as the ultimate birthday present from her players.

The spectacular victory secured a third-place finish for Kenya at the Four Nations tournament in Zambia, but for Odemba, the match was a critical litmus test for the team's tactical progression ahead of the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).

Prior to the final match, the technical bench had placed a heavy emphasis on efficiency in the final third. Odemba noted that seeing the intensive training ground drills translate into six unanswered goals on the pitch was highly encouraging.

"It is good for us, it is good that we are sharpening our scoring. We worked on scoring in our last two training sessions and we've seen that it is possible. To score six goals in such a tournament shows that going forward we can do better," Odemba remarked post-match.

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The tactician praised her players for their tactical discipline, noting that they respected Lesotho despite the ultimate scoreline.

"The players followed instructions, they played well, and they wanted the win. We didn't think of Lesotho as an easy team. They came hard on us, but I'm happy the girls delivered and gave me a good birthday gift," she said.

While Odemba reiterated that the team's overall performance throughout the week in Lusaka proves they are firmly on the right track, she hinted that the learning process is far from over.

With tournament evaluations now underway, the coach dropped a hint that fans might see minor personnel and tactical tweaks as the team transitions back to competitive qualification fixtures.

"I feel that the team is ready, but of course, there are two or three things to work on. Tactically, we may change a thing or two, and if I'm going to speak about the squad, we might see a change of about three players going forward," the tactician revealed.

The tournament concludes with Kenya claiming the bronze medal, captain Mwanalima Adam taking home the Player of the Tournament award, and Coach Odemba possessing a clear tactical blueprint for the road to Morocco.

Read the original article on Capital FM.

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