Acakoro Football Academy Under-19 team will now officially transform into Gor Mahia Queens and will serve the club in the Football Kenya Federation Women's Division Two league
The deal is in line with Caf's stringent club licensing guidelines, mandating participating clubs in inter-club competitions to integrate a women's team into their structure.
The move is also in tandem with FKF clubs licensing rules, which demand top-flight clubs to invest in robust youth structures.
K'Ogalo initiated the partnership with Acakoro in June 2023. The deal, which was concluded at the Stima Sacco Club in Nairobi, underscores Gor Mahia's unwavering commitment to growing female talent in football.
The 26 players who currently compete in the FKF Women Division 2 League will be moved together with their technical bench from Acakoro's talent academy.
In a statement, Acakoro CEO Rashid Mohamed extended his good wishes to the transitioning players, highlighting the academy's track record as a talent incubator.
“Acakoro Football Academy has over the years proved to be a talent factory. We have great alumni including Sylvia Makungu who currently plays for FC Wacker Innsbruck in the Australian Division 1 Women's League,” the statement read.
Mohamed emphasised Acakoro's distinct focus on youth talent development, clarifying the academy's absence of senior teams.
"Our strategy revolves around preparing players for their leap into professional football. As such, we don’t have our senior teams and therefore the transition marks a successful step for the girls," he stated.
Acakoro Ladies coach, Jackline Juma, who was pivotal in brokering the deal, hailed the opportunity as a platform for the girls to refine their football prowess.
Expressing optimism, she outlined the team's ambitions of ascending from Division Two to grace the FKF women's Premier League.
“We are now focused on reaching the FKF women's Premier League. The team is currently in Division 2 so we have just two more steps— Division One and National Super League before the top tier” she noted.
