Why Starlets are crossing fingers despite E.Guinea defeat

Harambee Starlets coach David Ouma believes his charges learnt vital lessons in their 2-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea which saw them crash out of the African Women Cup of Nations finals on a 3-2 aggregate.

The Starlets beat the west Africans 2-1 at the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos last Wednesday but watched in agony as their bid to make a second successive appearance at the showpiece went up in smoke in Malabo.

Speaking to Citizen Digital after the team returned on Monday from Malabo, Ouma hailed her girls for the determination despite being eliminated out of the tournament.

“We really wanted to qualify for the tournament but luck was not on our side. Our opponents got an early lead and then they decided to lock the match in that it was hard for my strikers to penetrate their area but I can say we have learnt a lot.

“All in all I am congratulating them for the good job done so far. We will not lose hope; our dream is to one day feature at the World Cup and I believe it will be realised. I am urging my players to keep playing professional football and they may get a platform to showcase their talent beyond Africa,” said Ouma.

The team is also crossing its fingers that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) disqualifies Equatorial Guinea for allegedly fielding an ineligible player during the first leg at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos.

The player in question is Celestina Manga Besecu .

In its protest note to FIFA, Football Kenya Federation claimed Besecu is Cameroonian, adding that her real name is Fadimatou Veronique Nsongone.

In October 2017, the world football governing body FIFA banned the West African country from taking part in 2019 World Cup in France for fielding 10 ineligible players and using forged documents.

In Sunday’s match in Malabo, goals from Gloria Chinasa and Salome Nke ensured Equatorial Guinea qualified for the AWCON which is set to kick off from November 17- December 1 in Accra, Ghana