Beldine Odemba’s Rising Starlets displayed their prowess, thrashing Angola 4-0 away from home to secure a 10-1 aggregate victory and advance to the third round of qualification for the 2024 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
This remarkable feat paves the way for another exciting encounter with Cameroon, providing Kenya with an opportunity to complete a double victory over the Central African nation.
Notably, Odemba’s senior team, the Harambee Starlets, eliminated Cameroon in last month’s qualifiers for the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). Now, Kenya’s Rising Starlets aim to emulate that achievement in the World Cup qualifiers.
Cameroon secured their place in the third round after a dominant 6-1 aggregate victory against Botswana, including a 4-1 win at home in the return leg.
The Rising Starlets, participating in the World Cup qualifiers for only the third time in history, delivered a commanding performance against Angola. Red-hot Valerie Nekesa showcased her brilliance once again, opening the scoring with a superb display.
Nekesa wasted no time, breaking the deadlock just six minutes into the game as she latched onto a through ball from the left, sidestepped the keeper, and calmly tapped the ball into an empty net.
Anna Arusi extended Starlets’ lead to 2-0 at halftime in Luanda, curling the ball directly from a corner to further solidify their dominance. Arusi continued to shine in the second half, completing her brace with an impressive goal. She adeptly outmanoeuvred her marker on the right before unleashing a stunning shot past the keeper.
To add the finishing touch, Charity Midewa netted the fourth goal, delicately chipping the ball over the keeper. Her goal came following a brilliant team move by the Rising Starlets, sealing an impressive 4-0 victory and a resounding 10-1 aggregate triumph.
