Footballer spotted breastfeeding baby during a match goes viral

Winnie Wambui who was spotted breastfeeding her baby at Karangatha Stadium last Monday. [photo courtesy/ Carol Radul Twitter]

On the eve of the International Women’s Day marked last Monday, it was just another day for 23-year-old Winnie Wambui Kamau.

The marketer at a Safaricom dealer shop at Njabini trading center in Nyandarua county left home where she lives with her grandmother as usual ready for work.

She left her one-and-a-half-year-old baby Valencia Wangui under the care of her 60-year-old grandmother Mary Wangui.

But back in her mind, she knew she had a very hard task ahead.

Wambui, a single mother is one of the strikers at the ladies Karangatha football team nicknamed Morvel Dada's.

On Monday, the Nyandarua woman MP Faith Gitau had organised a woman football team tournament at Karangatha stadium to mark International Women's Day.

Her team was to face off with the Njabini women's football team that afternoon.

But her biggest hurdle was juggling between the match and breastfeeding her baby.

"That particular day, my grandmother was to leave for some business so as to earn a living. We had agreed that I would go with the baby since I could not afford to miss the match. This is our usual arrangement even when I go to train after work. I left work at 10 am and went to the stadium after picking the baby from home," she told The Standard.

She sought assistance from her colleagues to hold the baby as she was selected to join the first half squad.

“I had a tough day during that match, I could not understand why the baby kept on crying minutes before we started the match. I breastfed her first but she could not stop crying,” she recalled.

“When the first whistle rang for us to start the match, I prayed to God that she would stop crying,” she said.

But her photos during half time went viral last Thursday on social media when she was spotted breastfeeding the baby.

“I went to breastfeed the baby during half time. I was shocked to receive calls from all over the country with people congratulating me for the nobble course,” she noted.

The mother of one said that she juggles work, football and supporting her grandmother.

Thank you Guys. I have found her and will be reaching out. ???????? #StrengthofaWoman pic.twitter.com/7J02TBH6k6 — Carol Radull (@CarolRadull) March 11, 2021

“It is a promise I made to God that my child will never lack. I am separated from the father of my child after some differences. He however supports me when he can,” she said.

According to Nyandarua Woman MP Faith Gitau who had organised the match, the aim was to promote local talents in football.

Wambui schooled at Muchibao Primary School before joining Muchibao Secondary School in Kinangop, and was a footballer at both. 

She did not proceed to a tertiary institution after finishing in 2019 but chose to join Karangatha Football Club.