Vihiga Queens Noel Oruko celebrates with Elda Anyoso/HANDOUT
Vihiga Queens head coach Boniface Nyamunyamu says their Women’s Premier League opening win is encouraging as they hunt for the national title.
Vihiga Queens, who finished fourth last season, began their campaign with a 4-0 win over Bungoma Queens on Sunday at the Bungoma National Polytechnic.
“The target is clear. We want to compete for the title again,” Nyamunyamu said. “Starting well gives us direction, but what matters is keeping that energy and staying disciplined in every match.”
His squad featured several new signings, including defenders Anita Namata, Noel Shilachilo, Damali Matama and striker Airin Madalina.
Madalina, returning to the league after a stint with Yanga Princess in Tanzania, opened the scoring in the 30th minute. Midfielder Martha Amunyollette added a second shortly after and sealed the points with second half strike.
“It feels good to be back home and scoring again,” Madalina said. “The team has great chemistry and I’m happy to be part of what coach NyamuNyamu is building. We want to keep improving and take it match by match.”
Nyamunyamu said Madalina’s link-up with Amunyollette showed promise and highlighted the depth the new players bring to the squad.
“We’ve strengthened where we needed to,” he said. “The new players bring a lot of quality and different experiences. It’s about them gelling so that we’re playing at full capacity by mid-season.”
The win, secured with a clean sheet and a confident all-round performance, saw Vihiga Queens move to the top of the early standings.
“We’ve made a statement. Now the real work begins, maintaining it,” Nyamunyamu concluded.
In Vihiga County, Madira Soccer Assassins marked their return to the top flight with a 2-0 win over Gideon Starlets at Mumboha Stadium, thanks to a brace from Valerie Nekesa.
“We fought hard to come back here,” Nekesa said. “Now it’s about proving that we can stay up and challenge the big teams.”
