NAIROBI, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's women's football team the Harambee Starlets, are leaving nothing to chance as they train in Machakos ahead of their friendly tie against Zambia in Kitwe on March 25.

The Starlets will use the tie to gauge themselves ahead of their 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) qualifying match versus neighbors Uganda on April 4.

"This chance is good for the development of our players. The Zambia friendly will give us the opportunity to gauge the team's preparedness ahead of our Africa Women's Cup of Nations qualifiers against Uganda," Harambee Starlets head coach Richard Kanyi said.

The Starlets made history when they qualified for the 2016 edition held in Cameroon. It was the first time that a Kenyan team was competing at the continental level. However, they were eliminated in the first round after losing all three group matches.

Should Kenya eliminate Uganda in the two-leg clash, the Starlets will meet Equatorial Guinea, who missed the 2016 AWCON after being banned for fielding an ineligible player.

Only seven teams will qualify for the final tournament to be held in Ghana in November. Ghana already qualifies as the host nation.