FIFA Series: What Gives Harambee Starlets Confidence Ahead Of 'Mini-World Cup' Clash With India

Harambee Starlets head coach Beldine Odemba has outlined her side’s approach to overcoming India in their opening FIFA Series clash on Saturday, April 11, at Nyayo National Stadium.

The team reported to camp on April 1, 2026, to begin preparations for the inaugural four-nation tournament.

Beldine Odemba named a 31-player provisional squad, with the players currently training at Nyayo as they fine-tune their readiness for the competition.

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Speaking during the FIFA Series press conference, Beldine Odemba explained that her technical bench had carried out a thorough analysis of India, allowing them to understand their style of play and key strengths, which has boosted the team’s belief heading into the match.

She noted that the squad’s strong performances in competitive fixtures, particularly during qualification campaigns, have helped build confidence, while friendly matches have been deliberately used as learning opportunities to test new ideas and improve the team’s overall structure.

Beldine Odemba pointed to recent friendly matches against Algeria as an example of the team’s progress, highlighting how they showed improvement between the first and second encounters, which she said reflects the adjustments and growth within the squad.

She added that the players are highly motivated and approaching the FIFA Series with great seriousness, describing the tournament as a valuable platform to face teams from different parts of the world and gain broader international experience.

“We have studied our opponents (India), we know how they play, and we are confident we shall walk away with a win. We do well in our competitions because…and in our competitions, I mean, the qualifiers,” Beldine Odemba said.

“When we play friendlies, we use them as test matches. We are always learning from our test matches. We played against Algeria. In our first match, we lost; in the second, we drew. This tells you that we are doing something new.

“Often, we use these matches as test matches, and we are very motivated. We are calling this a mini World Cup because we are meeting teams from different continents.”

After their match against India, Harambee Starlets will either face Australia or Malawi in their final match of the FIFA Series on Wednesday, April 15.