Harambee Starlets kicked off their CECAFA Senior Women’s Challenge Cup campaign in style with a convincing 3-0 victory over Burundi on Sunday evening in Dar es Salaam.
It took just two minutes for Kenya to hit the front, thanks to a moment of brilliance from Martha Amunyolet.
The Vihiga Queens striker latched onto a long clearance from goalkeeper Annedy Kundu, outmuscled two defenders, and cleverly lobbed the advancing Burundian keeper, Faida Habimana, to open the scoring.
Barely three minutes later, Amunyolet struck again. This time, she timed her run perfectly to collect a lofted pass from fullback Violet Nasaka deep in Kenya’s half.
With composure and precision, she once again lifted the ball over Habimana to double Kenya’s lead and complete a sensational brace within five minutes.
Kenya maintained control throughout, and in stoppage time, Faith Mboya added a third to seal the win.
After Amunyolet’s shot cannoned off the post, Mboya curled the rebound beautifully into the top-left corner to cap a dominant performance.
Starlets celebrating the opener victory.
This marks Kenya’s return to the regional tournament for the first time since 2019, when they defeated hosts Tanzania 2-0 to lift the trophy.
With such a strong start, the Starlets have sent a clear signal of their intentions to reclaim the regional crown.
