Holders Vihiga Queens decry the state of affairs in the Football Kenya Federation Women’s Premier League following the their fourth walkover at the weekend.
The 2018 champions did not have to break a sweat to fund their basket with three points on Saturday at the Mumias Sports Complex after the nethermost coastal side Spedag FC failed to honour their fixture. It is alleged that Mombasa-based freighters had petitioned FKF to postpone the tie citing lack of funds but that was not actualized.
Earlier in the season Vihiga Queens had been handed walkovers against Vihiga Leeds in their league opener, Nyuki Starlets and Eldoret Falcons.
Acknowledging that most (if not all) women premiership lineups are troubled financially, Vihiga Queens’ tactician Alex Alumira intimates that walkovers destabilizes the team’s rhythm and in turn results.
“Walkovers in a top flight league is not healthy at all. It is always gratifying to players and the technical bench when the team bags three points from a competitive match. This way the league becomes boring and the fans will begin to dessert the stadia yet the women’s league has just started to attract spectators,”
“We train to face opponents and when that does not happen we cannot track the gains we think we’ve gained in training. We also lose our game rhythm and regaining it can prove difficult. Something needs to be done to arrest these recurrent forfeiture of league matches,” averred Alumira underscoring the time, emotions and finances invested in a single duel.
Vihiga Queens- funded by the County Government of Vihiga now have 46 points raked in from 17 ties, while Spedag are lodged at the bottom with four points after playing 19 fixtures.
Elsewhere, Wadadia clipped visiting Oserian 2-1 in a duel that was settled in the opening half at the same grounds. Miriam Kurgat notched in the opener in the 16th and Margret Anyango sail the hosts’ second 10 minutes later through a header. Dorcas Shikobe narrowed the scores in the 33rd minute. The winners now have 24 points, while Oserian stagnate at 29 after 19 and 18 matches respectively.
