Harambee Starlets report to camp ahead of Turkish Cup

What you need to know:

  • Kenya, ranked 133 in the world by Fifa, will play their first match in the Turkish Cup on March 3 against Northern Ireland ranked 56th
  • Starlets will next play 32nd ranked Chile before facing top African side Ghana ranked 46 in the world
  • This is the second time the team has earned an invitation to play in Europe after their 2016 Torneo Internacional de Fútbol Sub-20 de L'Alcúdia (better known as COTIF) outing in Spain

A provisional Kenya women’s football team on Sunday reported at Utalii Hotel in Nairobi to begin a one-week training camp.

The team, popularly known as Harambee Starlets, is scheduled to participate in the Turkish Women's Cup tournament.

Starlets coach David Ouma told Nation Sport on Sunday that the seven days of training will be extremely crucial for both him and the team as he looks to trim the squad of 25 he named less than a week ago to a final list of 21.

“I’m hoping that by the end of the week, those that will have made the cut will be confident in playing against some of the best women's football teams, setting the bar high on professional women football.

“I believe that since most of the players are young and have no experience in playing for the national team, it will be easier to teach them and help them feel at ease playing at this level,” said Ouma.

Kenya, ranked 133 in the world by Fifa, will play their first match in the Turkish Cup on March 3 against Northern Ireland ranked 56th.

Starlets will next play 32nd ranked Chile before facing top African side Ghana ranked 46 in the world.

This is the second time the team has earned an invitation to play in Europe after their 2016 Torneo Internacional de Fútbol Sub-20 de L'Alcúdia (better known as COTIF) outing in Spain where they finished an impressive fourth.

Starlets beat Portuguese champions Benfica 3-0 and Spanish side RCD Espanyol 3-2. Harambee Starlets forward Esse Akida, who recently joined Turkish giants Besiktas, top scored in the tournament with five goals.

“My mission this week is not only to train them on their physical skills but also their mental strength. I don’t want them to feel intimidated by some of the teams that are obviously above us in the Fifa rankings,” said Ouma.

Other countries who will participate in the Turkish Women's tournament include Hungary, Venezuela, Hong Kong, Romania, Ghana, Northern Ireland, Turkmenistan, and Chile.

Turkish Women's Cup tourney is scheduled to run from March 2 to 11 ahead of the 2020 Africa Women's Cup of Nations (AWCON) Qualifiers in April.