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National women’s football team Harambee Starlets will wait a little longer to make their maiden appearance at the Olympic Games after they were bundled out of the qualifiers by Zambia yesterday.

Starlets lost 1-0 in the return leg of the penultimate round of the qualifiers and 3-2 on aggregate at Lusaka’s Nkoloma Stadium.

Ahead of the return leg, Starlets needed a win of any margin to make it to the final round of the qualification process as the home match had ended  2-2 on Friday, giving the Zambians an away goal advantage.

It was a low key first half, with the main highlight being a missed penalty. Zambia’s Rachel Kundananji stepped to the spot after Barbra Banda was brought down in the box but her efforts hit the post.

Mweemba Lushomo’s free kick in the 58th minute handed the hosts the winning goal as she directed it straight in to goalkeeper Annette Kundu’s arms for what should have been an easy save but the Eldoret Falcons shot stopper fumbled with the ball, letting it slip between her legs and into the back of the net. 

Starlets needed two goals to overturn the score line after Lushomo’s goal, but the hosts gave them no chance as they looked more energized and pressed for a second goal thus forcing Kenya to go on the defence.