NAIROBI, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's failure to secure qualification to the 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) tournament will inspire the team to navigate through the elimination qualifier for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, head coach David Ouma said on Tuesday.
Ouma believes that with better preparations, Kenya will easily overcome Malawi in their first hurdle in the qualification process on August 28 away in Blantyre, before the return leg in Nairobi on August 31.
A victory against Malawi will then set Kenya up for a tie against either Gabon or Ghana.
"The team is promising and ready for the tussle ahead. Winnie Kanyotu, Elizabeth Wambui and Wincate Kaari have been ruled out of this week's camp as they are carrying knocks and bruises from the local league," Ouma said.
African football's governing body CAF has lined up 25 teams to compete in the qualification process for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The qualification campaign will be played across the first two weeks of April.
Along with Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea, Kenya was given a bye in the first round and only joined the qualification process in August.
Round one will present a number of highly-anticipated fixtures, with Mali taking on Morocco before Zambia square off with Angola. Uganda will also be up against Ethiopia, with both teams having showed well at the last edition of the CECAFA Cup tournament.
Kenya will, however, miss the services of veterans like Esse Mbeyu Akida, Neddy Atieno and the Sweden-based duo of Mary Kinuthia and Christine Nafula.
"We have our veterans who haven't joined our camp, like Esse who has other commitments, and Mary Kinuthia and Nafula who are still in Sweden, but they will join us later to boost the team ahead of the crucial match," said Ouma.
Ouma, however, rued missing out on the 2018 AWCON tournament in Ghana, and is focused on erasing those memories by qualifying for Tokyo.
"It was indeed sad on how we did not take part in the last AWCON edition in Accra. This time round we want to be in the Olympics, and I believe we shall achieve it."
