Akida on song as Starlets roll on in COTIF tourney

Akida’s fine form continued as Starlets hammered Espanyol 3-1 in their pool match played on Tuesday night.

 She opened the scoring in the first half but Espanyol pulled the score back to ensure that the match was level as the teams headed for the half break.

 Espanyol owned the first half, terrorising the Starlets to the end, but the Kenyan girls held their ground, regrouped at half-time and came back all-guns-blazing to get the job done.

Brace Neddy Atieno returning from a minor ankle injury, put Kenya ahead before Akida completed her brace.

This was a fifth straight win for the David Ouma-coached side since they qualified for their maiden Africa Women Cup of Nations (Awcon) finals scheduled for November 19 to December 3 in Cameroon’s two cities of Limbe and Yaounde.

Akida is definitely keeping up with her form in the Kenya Women’s Premier League where she is the top-goalscorer with 13 goals in six games.

 No other player has scored more than one goal in the 2016 COTIF Women’s Football Tournament so far.

Thus tied in second place, with one goal apiece, are: Neddy Atieno (Harambee Starlets), Speckmaier (Venezuela ), Diaz (Venezuela ), Lomba (Espanyol), Baudet (Espanyol), Neily (Venezuela ), Yiyi (Real Betis), Paulita (Real Betis), Zaira (Espanyol).

Kenya will play Real Betis in the Semis on Wednesday. Betis beat Elche 2-0 in another match of the tournament.

 Venezuela Women’s National Team finishes top of Group A with maximum points to book a date with Espanyol in the semi-finals.

Starlets first XI vs Espanyol: Vivian Akinyi, Anne Alouch, Irene Ogutu, Dorcas Shikobe, Jacky Ogol, Corazone Aquino, Christine Nafula, Essie Akida, Mary Kinuthia.