Tears, jubilation mark Starlets historical win

As the last whistle blew to send Harambee Starlets into the African Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) finals, the stadium was thrown into a frenzy. While the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Nick Mwendwa stormed towards jubilant fans at the stands, Head Coach David Ouma broke into passionate tears.

He and the girls had etched their names in Kenya’s history books as the first women football national team to reach the intercontinental finals tournament.

Under the watch of the new FKF office, Starlets have succeeded where the Harambee Stars have failed. And the execution was near perfect. The FKF had earlier announced free entry to the stadium to ensure a larger turnout, and the genius substitution of Cheris Avilia capped a historical achievement in spectacular fashion, as she blasted in a low pass from the free-kick into the top corner.

Sports Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario, who also attended the match, was quick to congratulate the Starlets, pledging the support of the government in their journey ahead.

“We have the youth team and now the Starlets to prepare. It’s a big achievement. It only shows we’re improving even as we hold talks with the federation to see how best we can offer our support,” he told Citizen Digital.

Former FKF President Sam Nyamweya was un-hesitant in ensuring his name was equally wrapped up in the historical qualification as he posted a lengthy congratulatory message on Facebook.

“It is humbling and a moment of great pride that this team was assembled during my term in office and we assembled the team, including the players and technical bench that have made history in Kenyan football. Special salute to every individual player for their efforts and the technical bench led by Coach David Ouma for this resounding history,” he wrote.

Speaking about the massive goal, match day hero Cheris Avilia cited proper preparation and an inspirational message from Nick Mwendwa as the reasons behind the feat.

“He made a very big statement before the match – impossible is nothing. For goal, I realized I was unmarked and they were all expecting a direct free-kick so I signalled my teammates to set me up. It’s a move we’ve been practicing but the coach always warned that it was up to us to establish  when best to execute it,” she revealed.

“We are going to face tougher teams so we’ll need better preparation and of course more commitment from our part.”

Team captain Ann Anyango who had only been recalled into the starting line-up led her team to the stands to thank the home fans for their support shortly after the celebrations faded off.

“We could not afford to lose with this kind of support. Right from the training to the stadium and the 90 minutes – the support has been immense,” she acknowledged.