Kenya 0-2 Australia
By Alyce Collett 15/4/26
Above: Hayley Raso (left) and Sam Kerr (right) celebrate after the latter scored the opening goal in Australia’s win over Kenya tonight. Photo: via Commbank Matildas.
Australia has won its 2026 FIFA Series after defeating Kenya 2-0 in today’s final.
It was not a pretty performance from the Matildas, with the side not delivering its finest performance, but goals from Sam Kerr and Clare Wheeler ultimately saw the series favourites get the job done.
Unsurprisingly it was the Australians who initially took a leading role in setting the tone for the match, with Hayley Raso in particular looking lively early.
However though despite what their world ranking would suggest, the Kenyans did really take it up to the Matildas for much of the first half.
The first half was much more competitive than any stage of the match against Malawi on the weekend was, and although they were getting good runs down both wings Kenya just did not have the numbers in the box to truly capitalise.
Vivian Nasaka was being lively for Kenya, but was playing a very wide left wing role and as such did not have the support in the box from her team mates to maximise on how close she was getting to goal. Tereza Obunyu was also getting some good runs through the middle, but much like Nasaka did not have the numbers support to truly capitalise.
It may have taken almost 25 minutes, but eventually the Matildas did finally find the opening goal through Kerr, whose shot initially was stopped by the Kenyan keeper Lilian Onyango, but the ball then slipped through her hands and the ball trickled into the back of the net.
One thing the first half was teaching Australia was to be really patient with their shots on goal, really having to wait to find the space and then shoot, despite having more of the ball in more dangerous positions in front of goal than its opposition.
Kenya did have some really strong shots on goal through Shalyne Opisa and Fasila Omondi, but some strong goal keeping from Mackenzie Arnold denied the Kenyans an equaliser thrice within a minute.
Kerr’s goal proved to ultimately be the only one of the first half, and the Australians went into the half time break with plenty to think about ahead of the second half.
Australian coach Joe Montemurro did make an intriguing substitution at half time, with midfielder Emily van Egmond coming on in place of winger Raso and Amy Sayer pushing into that wider role Raso had been playing.
Australia started on the front foot in the second half, with Kerr and Caitlin Foord working well together to generate shots on goal for Australia, albeit their shots ultimately kept going slightly wide of the target.
The Matildas did finally find a second goal about 10 minutes into the second half after Wheeler found herself with the ball at the top of the box, and danced her way around several defenders before striking the ball perfectly into the back of the net.
Australia almost had a third about five minutes later via Foord, but the goal was ruled invalid.
Kenya certainly kept pushing the Matildas, particularly the likes of Opisa giving the Aussie defence plenty to think about, but just lacked the quality of finishes to make the most of any chances.
One thing that will concern Montemurro and his staff moving forward was the lack of clinical passing, with the passing particularly in transition leaving much to be desired and handing the Kenyans much easier opportunities to intercept than a side of Australia’s quality should have been.
Ultimately those two goals were enough for the Australians to get the job done, but the Australian coaching staff will leave Kenya with plenty to think about ahead of the next stage of the team’s preparations for next year’s World Cup.
Teams: KENYA (4-3-3): Onyango, Jereko, Nasaka, Opisa, Emedot, Obunyu, Norah, Ochaka, Andiema, Madalina, Omondi. Substitutes: Kundu, Lwangau, Okumu, Nyabuto, Serenge, Muange, Vidah, Mukhwana, Airo, Shilwatso, Mango.
Goals:
AUSTRALIA (4-3-3): Arnold, Torpey, Rule, Heatley, Rankin, Wheeler, Sayer, Kennedy, Raso, Foord, Kerr. Substitutes: Chidiac, Nevin, Nash, Gomez, Lincoln, Aquino, Van Egmond, McKenna, McNamara, Siemsen.
Goals: Kerr 20’, Wheeler 55’
Referee: Yordanos Mulugeta (Ethiopia)
Attendance: TBC.
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