Africa-Press – Kenya. Harambee Starlets forward Valarie Nekesa insists the national team will not be intimidated by Australia as they gear up for their final Fifa Series showdown on Wednesday at the Nyayo National Stadium.
Starlets opened their campaign in style, brushing aside India 2-0 in a polished display on Saturday. Martha Amunyolet broke the deadlock early in the contest to hand the hosts a deserved lead heading into the interval.
After the restart, Tereza Engesha doubled the advantage in the 57th minute, capping off a dominant outing.
Elsewhere at Nyayo, Australia flexed their muscle with a ruthless 5-0 demolition of Malawi, setting up a high-stakes decider against the hosts.
Wednesday’s schedule will see India face Malawi in the third-place playoff, while Starlets square off with the Matildas for top honours.
Australia, ranked 15th in the world, arrive as overwhelming favourites against a Kenyan side placed 128th in the FIFA rankings.
The Matildas’ cutting edge is spearheaded by Sam Kerr, the prolific Chelsea women’s forward and all-time Australian leading scorer with 73 goals.
However, Nekesa remains defiant, drawing belief from their opening win and the backing of a home crowd.
“When we face Australia, we will have more confidence.”
“We will not be afraid of them, our target will be to give our best just like we did against India,” she said.
While acknowledging the gulf in pedigree, Nekesa is adamant Starlets have the quality to compete.
“Australia is a good team, but we are also good. We have to take advantage of the chances we create in that game. Mentally, the coaches have prepared us well.”
Head coach Beldine Odemba, meanwhile, views the FIFA Series as a vital dress rehearsal ahead of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) set for July 26 to August 16 in Morocco.
Starlets have been drawn into a daunting Group A alongside continental heavyweights Morocco, Algeria and Senegal for the 2026 WAFCON.
“We hope the team will have gelled well for the continental assignment. We are using these friendlies for that exact purpose,” Odemba noted.
Reflecting on the victory over India, the tactician credited her players for executing the game plan to the letter.
“The players followed instructions. We watched a lot of clips of India and analysed their strengths, especially their play through the middle.”
“We could have scored more, particularly in the first half, but that is part of the learning curve,” she added.
Odemba also revealed that squad rotation played a role, with key players rested to ensure a sharper edge against the Matildas.
“We are looking at the game on Wednesday, that is why we rested some of our players.”
