Women footballers plead for quick return of sports after taking the jab

Football Kenya Federation Women Premier League clubs’ players have expressed hope that the ministries of health and sports will allow the return of league matches after they started receiving the Covid-19 vaccine on Tuesday.

Vihiga Queens, Kayole Starlets and Gaspo FC are some of the teams that received the jabs on Tuesday at Kasarani Stadium while asking the government to allow them to return to action.

“There have been so many challenges since Covid-19 set its foot on planet earth with sports being closed. We lose our fitness by training for a few days every week but now that we have received this vaccine there is hope that things will return to normalcy pretty soon,” Vihiga Queens captain Enez Mango said.

Her sentiments were backed by Gaspo midfielder, Winnie Kanyotu who said: “As footballers we are really hurting because the game is everything that we depend on, so I’m sending a humble cry to the government to open sports because we are having it rough.”

Sharon Miloya who plays for Kayole Starlets didn’t mince her words noting that some of the women footballers who are mothers are now depending on their parents for upkeep.

At the same time Kayole Starlets head coach Joshua Sakwa reckons that the inoculation exercise raises hopes of safe return to league action which was halted on March 26th 2021.

“This is a good initiative by the Federation and the Government as it gives the players a sense of hope that football may return. Overall, training has been hard and the girls really miss playing football hence I would like to plead with the government to allow the safe return of football,” said Sakwa.

Kenya’s Harambee Starlets is expected to participate in the 2022 Africa Women’s Cup  of Nations Qualifiers. The Starlets are primed to face Zambia’s national women’s soccer team in a friendly match on April 24 in preparation for the Morocco tourney.

The Africa Cup of Nation’s Finals will also be used as a qualifier for the 2023 FIFA World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.