The Harambee Starlets have been drawn in Group A of the 2022 Africa Women Cup of Nations qualifiers after the draw was conducted at the Caf headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, on Monday.
The first round will see Kenya play against South Sudan as Uganda face off against Ethiopia, Eritrea against Burundi, while Djibouti will confront Rwanda.
Should the Starlets proceed past South Sudan, they are set to face off against either Uganda or Ethiopia in the second round. The winners on aggregate will qualify to join hosts Morocco in the regional showpiece.
The first and second leg fixtures of the first round will be played between June 7 and June 15, while the second round’s first and second leg fixtures will be held between October 18 and October 29.
This will be the first assignment for new Starlets coach Charles Okere, who was appointed on April 13, to replace David Ouma, who left the team on mutual agreement.
Okere, who was serving as an assistant coach with 11-time FKF Premier League champions Tusker, started work immediately and his first task was to lead the team against Zambia in a friendly match in Lusaka, but it was cancelled owing to the coronavirus pandemic.
On his appointment, Okare said: “I really feel honoured and privileged to be given this opportunity to serve the nation. It is always a huge achievement for anyone, be it a player or a coach to be handed a responsibility with the national team and I feel elated.
“This is a big challenge and one that I am ready for. It is an opportunity for me to continue learning and growing as a coach and I am willing to give my best to my country just as I have been doing for my club.”
Meanwhile, the Kenya U20 women's team has also been pooled in Group A alongside Uganda, Burundi, Malawi, Namibia, Angola, Botswana, and Zambia, in the second round of the 2022 Fifa U20 Women's World Cup qualifiers.
Kenya will play against Uganda and before being one of the two African representatives in the 2022 Fifa U20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica, they will have to go through three more rounds
The women’s U20 continental showpiece first leg fixtures will take place between January 13, and January 15, 2022, with the second leg fixtures to be held between January 27, and January 29, 2022.
