Kayole Starlets sign up 15 players

Kenya Women Premier League (KWPL) side Kayole Starlets have bolstered their squad by signing up 15 players ahead of the new season.

The new faces include Harambee Starlets defender Juliet Andipo who was snatched from Thika Queens, defender Foscah Nashivanda, poached from Zitech and was part of the national team who won the 2019 Cecafa Women Championsjip in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

Others are Faith Awuor (attacking midfielder), who has been signed from Zetech and Faith Atieno from Wadadia.

Ex-Mathare United striker Josephine Nana and Clarice Arony have also been brought in, joining  from MKU.

“First of all I am happy for guiding the team to escape the relegation this season. We haven’t released any of our players we had last season reason being that those who will not prove to be part of the first team will be deployed to the second team which have been registered to take part in the Regional League,” Kayole Starlets head coach Joshua Sakwa said in an interview with Citizen Digital.

He added: “The reason of having two teams is to give players who have no experience in the league time to mature and to be fit, but from the list of new players I have signed, I believe all of them are capable of pumping good spirit in the team and to play better.”

Sakwa at the same time hailed Football Kenya Federation for injecting funds into the women’s league.

For the first time the top tier women league will benefit from Sh10 million, a licence fee paid by the men’s league as well as 20 footballs for each of the teams.

Sakwa also gave hint of a looming sponsor for the team.

“I want to thank the management for engaging different companies who are willing to sponsor the team. Negotiations are almost bearing fruit, soon we are going to have new sponsors before new season kicks off,” he reckoned.

“In the same sequence I am urging other stakeholders and sponsors to come on board and support the team.

My aim is to finish among top three teams, I can say there is no stiff competition in the Women League only that some clubs can afford to pay their players dues hence boosting their morale to win them trophies, but by getting the sponsor, I believe we will achieve our goal.”

It’s five years since the Kayole based club gained promotion to the top-tier league but have faced endless financial struggles.

They finished fourth in the 2017 campaign, their best ever performance.

Sakwa also wants the government to lift the ban on football noting it’s the only source of livelihoods for most players.

“I want to urge the government to allow football to resume, many of our players depend on match allowances and since the game was halted in March after the Covid-19 pandemic struck the country they have really been suffering as most of them haven’t invested.

It’s so annoying seeing politicians conducting their political rallies every day with huge crowds risking the spread of the virus…

“Even if we resume playing without fans it shall be better…,” he concluded.