Equity Bank women power to glory in football and handball

UON's Lucy Ochieng (left) and Samba Mjomba of Equity Bank during the 5th edition of the Kenya Institute (KIB) Bankers Interbank games at the Absa ground on Oct 23, 2023. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Equity Bank women’s teams have successfully retained football and handball trophies at the ongoing Kenya Institute of Bankers Interbank Sports in Nairobi.

This is the third time the bank is retaining both the football and handball titles in a row.

The side was yesterday evening set to take on Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) in football as a mere formality as they are topping the round robin encounter on 12 points.

On their way to retaining the women’s football trophy, they sliced Absa Bank 1-0, beat KCB Bank 3-0, I&M Bank 4-0 and got a walk over against Co-Op Bank.T hey only lost 2-0 to the agile and youthful University of Nairobi Business School.

“Winning back to back football trophy for the third time is such a great motivation to us. Our hope is that the women’s football team will be entered by the management to play in any of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) leagues like our men who are plying trade in the FKF Division One League,” Equity women’s football team captain Sylvia Wasilwa told Standard Sports.

The former Harambee Starlets central defender said that good selection, preparation and training is what has made the football team invincible in the tournament.

“We did selection in August, then were in residential camp for two weeks where we gelled before the tournament,” she said.

Among new players who have beefed up the squad this season are Lorine Nasiche, a very good attacking midfielder, Monica Ambutsi who has been so instrumental in the midfield and Debbie Akinyi, who has kept the defence together. Akinyi is among the prolific four national basketball players who also feature for Equity Bank Hawks in the women’s Basketball Premier League.

Others are Samba Mjomba, Betty Kananu and Brenda Ngaira.

Ngaira was last year’s Interbank Games Golden Boot award winner (football) with 13 goals.

Likewise, it is still the same Equity women’s football squad that is plying trade in handball where they have so far propelled the bank to a third successive handball title this season.

On the way to their glorious handball crowning, Equity beat KCB Bank 10-6, Co-op Bank 15-6, Absa Bank 12-4, Diamond Trust Bank 15-2, CBK 9-2 and NCBA 8-0.

“We are happy to retain the titles, only University of Nairobi was a thorn in the flesh in football but handball was just a walk in the park for us,” Wasilwa said.

Apart from featuring for the national team Harambee Starlets in football, Wasilwa lifted the FKF Women’s Premier League trophy with Moyas FC in her heydays.

She also had stints with Makolanders FC, Thika Queens FC and Spedag FC in the Women’s Premier League.