Starlets will hope to make full advantage of playing at home and turn the tie in their favour.
Harambee Starlets launched their bid to punch a ticket to the 2024 WAFCON on the wrong footing after falling 1-0 to Cameroon at the Stade de Reunification De Douala, Douala.
Starlets will hope to make full advantage of playing at home and turn the tie in their favour.
The return leg is scheduled to be played on Tuesday, September 26, 2023 at Nyayo Stadium.
The Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon scored the all-import goal in the 11th minute through Eliane Manbolamo who rose high to head home a corner kick.
Playing in front of their fans and their celebrated federation's President Samuel Etoo, Cameroon settled in first and gave the Kenyan defense some work to do especially in the opening minutes of the game.
However, Starlets recovered from the nervy start but appeared to struggle in stringing passes together and making in roads to the Cameroon defence.
The long balls approach embraced by the Kenyan team was clearly ineffective as Cameroon made good use of the height possessed by the back line to handle the aerial balls launched to their area.
While Kenya was unsuccessful with the long balls, the Lionesses were a threat with the set pieces and aerial balls that caused the visiting team all sorts of problems.
The winner on aggregate will face either Gabon or Botswana in the second round, scheduled between November 27 and December 5, 2023.
The second round winner will secure automatic qualification for the 2024 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations, hosted in Morocco.
Starlets last qualified for the tournament in 2016 which was held in Cameroon. It was the first time Kenya had booked a place in the showpiece.