Harambee Starlets completed a remarkable demolition of Seychelles to book their place in the third round of the 2028 Olympic Games women’s football qualifiers, winning the return leg 11-0 to progress with an extraordinary 22-0 aggregate score.

Kenya carried a commanding advantage into Monday’s second leg after registering an identical 11-0 victory in the opening encounter at Ulinzi Sports Complex on Thursday, October 8. The return fixture produced another one-sided contest as the Starlets maintained their attacking intensity to finish the two-legged assignment without conceding a goal.

Head coach Godfrey ‘Solo’ Oduor made changes to his starting line-up, bringing in several foreign-based players who had not featured in the opening match. Among them were Egypt-based forward Jentrix Shikangwa and Corazone Aquino, as Kenya showcased the depth of their squad.

The Starlets needed just six minutes to break the deadlock, with Sylvia Makungu finding the net to set the tone for another dominant display. Violet Nanjala doubled the advantage in the 12th minute, her effort slipping through the goalkeeper’s legs.

Shikangwa marked her return to the national team with a goal in the 17th minute before completing a quick brace three minutes later. Full-back Vivian Nasaka then capped an impressive attacking contribution by scoring Kenya’s fifth goal in the 31st minute, leaving Seychelles with a mountain to climb at the interval.

Kenya resumed after the break with the same urgency, and captain Mwanalima Adam capitalized on a loose ball inside the penalty area to make it 6-0 in the 48th minute.

Shikangwa completed her hat-trick in the 66th minute, finishing from a Nasaka cutback to underline her importance to the Kenyan attack. Adam subsequently registered her second goal of the match in the 79th minute, beating goalkeeper Tinisha Come with an effort from the left flank.

Simba Queens forward Fasila ‘Kamama’ Adhiambo added the ninth in the 85th minute with a long-range strike before Marion Serenge converted a penalty two minutes later. Serenge struck again to take Kenya into double figures and replicate the first-leg scoreline.

The emphatic victory sends the Starlets into the third round, where they face the prospect of meeting either Malawi or Zimbabwe. Both nations are among the teams competing in the qualification pathway, with the next round scheduled for February 23 to March 6, 2027.

With a place in the third round secured in emphatic fashion, Kenya will now turn their attention to a potentially tougher assignment against opposition expected to provide a sterner test of their Olympic ambitions.

The African qualifying campaign offers the Starlets a route towards the women’s football tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, where the continent will have two representatives.