Harambee Starlets Remain Unchanged in Latest FIFA Rankings

The Kenya Women’s National Football Team, Harambee Starlets, have maintained their place in the latest FIFA rankings despite their impressive performance at the four-nations tournament.

Facing Lesotho in the third-place play-off, Harambee Starlets put on a masterclass at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, Zambia, to claim a commanding 6-0 victory and secure the tournament’s bronze medal.

As captured in the latest rankings, Harambee Starlets sit at position 128 globally. The massive 6-0 result against Lesotho yielded a modest +2.46 ranking points, bringing their total cumulative tally to 1111.84.

Their victory was not enough to leapfrog Zimbabwe, who hold the 127th spot with 1114.75 points despite a recent 3-0 defeat against Zambia.

Harambee Starlets opened their goal account in the 11th minute when Violet Nanjala cleanly slotted home the opener after a brilliant setup by Eglay Mukhwana.

Just three minutes later, Terry Engesha struck a direct free-kick to double the lead. Fasila Adhiambo then registered Kenya’s third in the 27th minute, and Mukhwana turned from provider to scorer in the 42nd minute to cap off a historic first half with a 4-0 advantage.

In the second half, Mukhwana completed her brace in the 65th minute to record her first-ever international goals, and substitute Catherine Khaemba scored the final goal in the 74th minute.

Meanwhile, Harambee Starlets previously enjoyed a notable upward surge during their campaign at the FIFA Women’s Series held earlier in April.

During that initial international window, Harambee Starlets put on displays that earned them critical points, pushing them up five places globally to reach their current 128th spot.

At the moment, the main objective is the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), scheduled to take place in Morocco.

Pooled in a challenging group alongside hosts Morocco, Algeria, and Senegal, Harambee Starlets need to continue working around the clock to ensure they make a mark.