WPL newbies Oyugis race to beef up, call for title sponsorship

Kenyan Women Premier League newbies SEP Oyugis are on verge of signing four more players as they race to bolster their squad ahead of next season.

Early this year, the Oyugis based club beat Zone A runners up MTG United 4-0 in the playoffs to clinch the final promotion slot to the top flight after finishing third in the division one league behind Kahawa West and Nakuru West.

Speaking to Citizen Digital, the club’s executive director Festus Juma expressed his joy after earning the promotion to the top flight noting that for them to finish in the top three they’ll need to sign two to four new players.

“I am feel very happy joining other teams in the Women Premier League. It was our dream; it has come to pass. For now, we have not released any of our players, reason being they are young and talented and we feel it is good we give them time to play together keeping in mind that they had gelled well.”

“We are now playing in the Premier League and there are tough opponents like Vihiga Queens, Thika Queens, Gaspo, among others. For this, we need to sign at least four good players. We need two defenders, one midfielder and a striker.

The head coach (Maurice Nyakwara) has already identified them and I will meet him tomorrow(Wednesday) so that we can start the process of acquiring them.”

Juma has however challenged Football Kenya Federation (FKF) to look for title sponsors for the women league.

“Clubs have been suffering for long and I don’t understand seeing the men’s league easily get sponsors than women. It’s the role of the Federation to negotiate a women’s deal also, we are the same and they should act equal for this,” he observed.

Recently, FKF chief Nick Mwendwa announced a Sh.1.2 billion title sponsorship deal for the top tier, the sponsors being a Nigerian gaming firm.

Courtesy of the deal, around Sh10million from the FKF PL license fee will be channeled to the WPL but the Oyugis boss feels a lot more needs to be done.

“At personal level I am currently engaging different companies one of them being a sugar firm from Nyanza region to sponsor our team, the big problem is lack of funds and if we will manage to have one then we will be able to pay the players allowances on time hence boosting their morale in the league.”

Juma also wants the Government through the Ministry of Sports to move with haste to allow the resumption of contact sports.