The 2019 season for Makolanders is changing for the better following the signing of two goalkeepers at the beginning of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) women’s Premier League second leg. Kenya international custodian Samantha Akinyi and Pauline Atieno whohas returned from school commitments have been credited for the team’s turnaround in fortunes in the second leg.
The Eastlands side have won two of the three games the two have been with the team. Coach Michael Okanga noted that deficiency in their goalkeeping department accounted for their poor run in the first leg in which they only won four ties. Defensive midfielder Joyce Anyango and forward Farida Nyarotso interchangeably took charge between the posts, resulting in custodial errors.
“We’ve got our groove back. Goalkeeping had been our main hitch in the first leg. We kept scoring but we could not defend the goals due to errors by our adopted goalkeepers giving points away,” intimated Okanga. He said the team must win at least four duels to survive relegation and start the next season on the right footing.
On the other hand, Kisumu All Starlets’ coach Juma Saidi is dumbfounded by his charges’ recent dismal performance and intimated they have to go back to the drawing board to chart a way forward. Over the weekend, the Lakeside outfit lost 3-2 to Kibera Girls Soccer Academy and 2-1 to Makolanders. The side had two weeks ago lost 2-3 to Thika Queens at their backyard.
“I am not happy with our weekend results. We came to Nairobi to collect wins but we returned home empty-handed. This is not good for our intentions this season,” noted a dejected Saidi.
“The line-up has not changed yet we have lost to the sides we beat in the first leg. The girls have not been in the character in the past three matches. We had a target of defeating the four teams above us (Gaspo, Thika Queens Vihiga Queens and Mathare United Women) in the standings but this kind of results is disheartening. We cannot be losing to teams behind us on the log. We have derailed, ” added the tactician.
Like many other FKF WPL teams, Kisumu All Starlets have no financial backing hence depend on handouts from friends and well-wishers mainly for logistics.
