Fatoumata Kanteh: Meet The Gambian Star Who Could Wreck Harambee Starlets’ WAFCON Dream

Harambee Starlets have their date with destiny when they host The Gambia in a 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Friday.

Kenya hosts the first of the two-legged tie in Nairobi and need a positive result to take away in the final round of qualifiers for WAFCON 2026 and if they triumph, they will make a return to the continental competition.

Harambee Starlets have been to WAFCON just once, in 2016, and have had a number of missed attempts in 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024 when they came so close.

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They have a chance again but The Gambia stand in their way and in the opposition, there is a key player that they must watch out for.

That is The Gambia’s star forward Fatoumata Kanteh, who plays for Spanish top flight club Sevilla and has been instrumental to her team’s run to the final round of WAFCON 2026 qualifiers.

Kanteh scored two goals in the last round against Niger, when they won 4-1 on aggregate, netting in the 2-0 first leg win before doing the same in the 2-1 victory in the return match.

She is a player that coach Beldine Odemba’s team must watch closely as she does not just bring goals but quality as well.

Born in Spain, Kanteh received her football education in the European country and has previously turned up for Villarreal, Sporting Club de Huelva and EDF Logrono.

She is fleetfooted, difficult to dispossess and with a high football IQ that allows her to easily open up tight defences and is never afraid of the big occasions as witnessed with her brilliant solo goal against European heavyweights Barcelona Femeni in April this year.

Kanteh is yet to score for her club in eight games this season but managed eight goals last term.

The 28-year-old is of Gambian and Senegalese descent and was eligible to represent Spain, where she was born, but opted against that option, making her debut for The Gambia in October 2021 and has never looked back.