Journey for Harambee Starlet coach begins

Harambee Starlets Defender Phoeby Owiti playing against South Sudan in the Africa Women Cup of Nations Qualifiers return leg match at the Nyayo National Stadium, Oct 23, 2021. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Battle for the Kenyan Women National Team Harambee Starlets head coach has kicked off today by the Football Kenya Federation.

Confirming the exercise, the head of caretaker committee secretariat Lindah Ogutu said the federation has embarked on the process of hiring a new head coach for the Kenya Women National Team Harambee Starlets barely a month to the second qualification round of the 2022 Africa Women Cup of Nations.

The technical sub-committee comprises of head Bobby Ogolla and former Harambee Stars coach Rishadi Shedu.

Those lined up for vetting are Charles Okere, Florence Duah, Tusker's George Maina, Thika Starlet's coach Benta Achieng, and former Vihiga Queens tactician Alex Alumirah.

The replacement comes on the hill for Charles Okere’s contract which ended few month ago. Okere was appointed to the national women football team as head coach in April last year.

The successful coach will have less than a month to constitute and assemble a team for the international assignment set for mid-next month.

Harambee Starlets are set to play neighbors Uganda on February 13, 2022 away before staging the return leg a week later in Nairobi for a ticket to this year's AWCON set for July this year.

However, questions will be asked on where and where the committee advertised for the vacancy at the side, something that had been much highlighted in the FKF inspection report that saw the formation of the committee.

Earlier in the year, the head of competitions Ali Amour had made it clear that the committee was focused on hiring a coach for the national women's side, adding that they would be holding interviews as opposed to handpicking.

"Our focus at the moment is on Harambee Starlets. We are planning on how to settle on the Starlets coach. We will not handpick but will instead hold an interview and the one who will be meet the requirements and emerge successful will get the job," Amour said. 

A lot is at stake in this game, including a chance for the big Kenyan girls to avenge the deeds on their younger siblings, Rising Starlets, in the hands of Uganda's U20 side that hammered them 10-3 on aggregate in the 2022 FIFA U20 Women World Cup Qualifiers, apart from clinching a ticket to the continental showpiece that will also serve as part of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification.

Kenya advanced to the second round after seeing hammering South Sudan in a two-legged clash staged at Nairobi for both legs, winning 8-0 in the first leg as hosts and 7-1 as the visiting team to complete a 15-goal haul on aggregate.?