Kenya crush Seychelles 11-0 in first leg of Olympic Games qualifying tie

Kenya’s Harambee Starlets produced a stunning attacking display as they thrashed Seychelles 11-0 in the first leg of their second-round CAF Women’s Olympic qualifier in Nairobi.

The match, played at the Ulinzi Sports Complex on Thursday, saw Kenya dominate from the opening stages and build an unassailable advantage before completing the rout in stoppage time.

Kenya were already 5-0 ahead by the 62nd minute and extended their lead to 7-0 by the 83rd minute.

Valary Nekesa was among the goalscorers, finding the net twice as the Harambee Starlets continued to overwhelm their opponents.

Substitute Elizabeth Mideva completed the scoring by netting Kenya’s 11th goal, with the final 11-0 scoreline confirmed in stoppage time.

Kenya take commanding advantage

The emphatic victory gives Kenya a huge advantage ahead of the return leg against Seychelles.

The two teams are contesting the second round of the CAF Women’s Olympic Qualifiers, with the winner progressing in the race for qualification to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Interim head coach Godfrey Oduor “Solo” led the Harambee Starlets, having recalled forwards Jentrix Shikangwa and Corazone Aquino for the tie.

The return leg is scheduled for 12 October 2026 at Nyayo National Stadium, where Kenya will look to complete the job and move closer to Olympic qualification.

Two African teams will qualify for the 2028 Olympic women’s football tournament.

Ghana also make strong start

Elsewhere in the Olympic qualifying campaign, Ghana’s Black Queens also recorded a first-leg victory.

The Black Queens defeated Mauritius 3-0, with Abigail Kim, Alice Kusi and Benedicte Simon on the scoresheet as Ghana established a strong advantage in their own second-round tie.

With both Kenya and Ghana securing comfortable first-leg victories, the two African sides will head into their respective return matches with significant leads.