Training camps and international matches will be key for the Kenya Lionesses as they prepare for next year's Africa Cup.
Speaking on Wednesday after receiving the inaugural Sports Journalist Association of Kenya (SJAK)/StarTimes coach of the month award, head coach Dennis Mwanja said Lionesses will start preparations for the Africa Cup next month.
“We want to have monthly training camps with the girls for the first quarter of the year and ensure they are in good shape. We also target to have build matches along the way as we hope to leave a mark at the competition in May," added Mwanja.
He said there are several facets of their play they have to work on for the next couple of months.
“Guided by our of the Ugandan tournament, we realised we have a lot of work to do before we go for the Africa Cup. Our strike rate needs to be sharper," said Mwanja.
"We had a lot of possession but we could not land the killer blow. Our set-pieces, line-out and scrum, can get better alongside the defence. These are areas we have to improve if we want to be competitive."
At the same time, Mwanja was delighted to win the inaugural coach of the month award, saying: "For so many years tacticians have been trading their skills with no recognition but it is quite a pleasant surprise to be honoured with this award."
Mwanja, who doubles up as the KCB Rugby assistant coach led the national women’s 15s team to win the Africa Cup title Pool 'B' in Kampala, beating hosts Uganda 23-3 and Zambia 36-17.
On top of being named the Coach of the Month, Mwanja walked away with Sh100,000, a StarTimes 55-inch smart television set and a personalised trophy thanks to title sponsor StarTimes Kenya.
StarTimes CEO Hanson Wang said it is great to finally award their first recipient and believes it will go a long way in inspiring more coaches and inject competitiveness in local sports as well as raise the bar for quality coaching.
“This marks the beginning of new dawn for Kenyan coaches. Previously, we had partnered with SJAK to award sports personalities. Upon our contract renewal we made the decision to take it a notch higher by recognising the coaches who work tirelessly in moulding Kenyan athletes into excellent competitors,”said Wang.
