Sports

Harambee Starlets brace for Los Angeles Olympic Games as CAF conducts football qualifying draw

Joel Masibo 28th April, 2026 08:15 PM

Kenya’s Harambee Starlets will know their fate as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed that the draw for the African qualifying phase of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games Women’s Football Tournament will be held on Wednesday, 29 April 2026 at CAF’s headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.

Thirty-five national teams are involved in this qualifying campaign: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Harambee Starlets squad for FIFA Series final. PHOTO/https://www.facebook.com/williamsamoei

The competition will take place in five qualifying rounds, with two teams to represent Africa at the Los Angeles Olympic Games Women’s Football Tournament, scheduled for July 11 to July 29, 2028.

Confidence builds

Harambee Starlets are on a promising trajectory following their impressive showing at the just-concluded FIFA Women’s Series Nairobi edition. Kenya finished as runners-up behind a strong Australian side on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, after suffering a 2-0 defeat in the final.

The Starlets’ performance in Nairobi is also expected to serve as a springboard for the upcoming Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, as stakeholders continue to push for greater investment and exposure in women’s football across Kenya.

Harambee Starlets players celebrating their first goal against India in the FIFA Series meeting at Nyayo National Stadium on Saturday, April 11, 2026. PHOTO/https://web.facebook.com/williamsamoei

The inaugural FIFA Women’s Football Series was staged across four host nations, bringing together 16 teams in a competition designed to enhance the growth of women’s football by offering more competitive international fixtures.

Meanwhile, after discussions between CAF and its partners, FIFA and other stakeholders, CAF decided to reschedule the dates of the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON 2026, to Saturday, July 25, to Sunday, August 2026.

The tournament was scheduled for Tuesday, March 17 to Friday, April 3, 2026 in Morocco.