Kenya Women's Premier League champions Vihiga Queens will miss the services of dependable defender Phoebe Owiti when they visit Trans Nzoia Falcons in a top-of-the-table encounter at Kenyatta Stadium, Kitale this weekend .
The left-footed defender continues to recover from an arm injury that saw her miss the Legacy Makers' 12-0 battering of minnows Kangemi Ladies as well as the walkover against Zetech Sparks.
Owiti has been a fixture in Vihiga's backline for the last two seasons. Queens' coach Boniface Nyamunyamu is worried about the threat posed by their second-placed opponents.
Falcons, just like Vihiga, have won their opening two matches — in identical 2-1 scorelines against Thika Queens and Wadadia.
Vihiga, four-time WPL champions, will be banking on their perfect head-to-head record but Nyamunyamu wants his charges to be mentally prepared for an energy-sapping encounter.
"Owiti is still two weeks away from returning to normal training which is a major blow for the team because we had hoped for a quick recovery," Nyamunyamu said.
"Falcons will be a real test for us because they look imperious at the moment but don't forget they haven't beaten us even at our lowest. We wanted to gauge ourselves against Sparks but they made a no-show."
Nyamunyamu said he will not tinker with his squad in the hope of building momentum going forward.
Janet Moraa and midfielder Maureen Ater run Kangemi rugged, leading the line with four and three goals respectively.
"You don't change a winning team but a lot will also depend on training," said Nyamunyamu.
"They (Falcons) are a good side but away matches are always tough. Physically and psychologically, we have to be ready because they are not pushovers at their backyard. Three points is the bare minimum."
He said they are eager to give themselves a head-start in their title defence even though the season is still in its infancy.
"One match at a time would be the strategy. We want to have synergy in the different departments even as we integrate the junior players," said Nyamunyamu.
The former Cecafa champions also harbour ambitions of playing in the CAF Women's champions league where they will head into a qualifier against fellow regional champions.
The Vihiga County-sponsored side played at the inaugural Women's Champions League staged in Egypt in 2021.
