WAFCON 2024 qualifiers: Kenya, Tanzania hope to utilise home advantage

Seven teams from the CECAFA Zone will be in action today in the second leg of the first round in the TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2024 qualifiers.

Kenya and Tanzania are hoping to utilise their home advantages as they take on Cameroon and Cote d’Ivore respectively.

After losing the first leg 1-0 away to Cameroon, the Harambee Starlets are hoping to overturn the result at the Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi, while Tanzania who fell 2-0 are determined to make home advantage count at the Azam Complex, Chamazi.

Beldine Odemba, the Kenya coach has made it clear that although playing at home is always an advantage, she has called on the fans to cheer the team for the entire match.

Odemba believes that having a strong fan presence at the stadium will provide vital support and motivation for the team.

“I would like to urge them to come in numbers. Starlets have been getting positive vibes from fans, we know they believe in us, and if they turn up in numbers, it will be a big boost, ” addd the coach.

For the Tanzania coach Bakari Nyundo Shime he says although they are facing a strong Cote d’Ivoire team, his players will need a lot of concentration as they go all out to try and get a good result that can see them qualify for the next round. ” We need to play as a team and be able to take our chances and also defend well, ” added the experienced Shime.

Uganda who suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Algeria in the first leg will also be all out to try and get a good result in the town of Oran. The game between Ethiopia and Burundi is expected to be a tight contest after the two teams settled for a 1-1 draw in the first leg which was also played at the Bikila Stadium in Addis Ababa.

Djibouti and Rwanda will very tough tests in the second legs after they both suffered 7-0 defeats last week to Togo and Ghana respectively.

On Monday South Sudan was ejected by Egypt lost the second leg 4-0 to bow out 8-0 on aggregate to Egypt.