Jentrix Shikangwa scored a hat-trick on her return to the Harambee Starlets squad as Kenya thrashed Seychelles 11-0 at Ulinzi Sports Complex on Monday, October 12, to advance to the second round of the 2028 Olympic Games qualifiers.
The victory completed a 22-0 aggregate triumph for Kenya following their identical 11-0 win in the first leg, as interim head coach Godfrey ‘Solo’ Oduor’s side maintained their dominance over the two-legged tie.
Shikangwa, who plays for Egyptian side FC Masar, was the standout performer as Kenya raced into a four-goal lead within the opening 20 minutes.
Sylvia Makungu opened the scoring in the seventh minute with a close-range finish before Violet Nanjala doubled the advantage. Shikangwa then struck twice in quick succession, scoring her first in the 17th minute with a left-footed effort from outside the box before completing her brace three minutes later.
Vivian Nasaka extended Kenya’s lead to 5-0 in the 27th minute, leaving Seychelles with little opportunity to recover as the hosts controlled the first half.
The Starlets continued their attacking display after the break, with captain Mwanahalima Adam scoring Kenya’s sixth goal following a poor clearance by the Seychelles goalkeeper.
Shikangwa completed her hat-trick in the 65th minute before Adam struck again 13 minutes later to make it 8-0.
Fascila Adhiambo added Kenya’s ninth goal five minutes from time, finding the net from just outside the penalty area.
Second-half substitute Marion Serenge then took centre stage, winning and converting a penalty to make it 10-0 before scoring again late in the match to seal the 11-0 victory.
Oduor made wholesale changes to the starting lineup that featured in the first leg, bringing in more experienced players after fielding locally based footballers in the opening match.
The decision paid off as Kenya matched their first-leg scoreline to complete the rout, keeping a clean sheet across both encounters.
The Starlets will now await the outcome of the second-round tie between Malawi and Zimbabwe. Malawi held a 2-0 advantage ahead of the return fixture scheduled for Tuesday, October 13, making them potential opponents for Kenya in the next stage of the Olympic qualifying campaign.
Kenya are seeking to progress through the African qualifiers as they pursue a place in the women’s football tournament at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
