Nairobi County Queens daring to go

[PHOTO: COURTESY]

Newly formed Nairobi County Queens fc have set their intentions clear to become a soccer power house in the near future as they climb up the ladder to Kenya’s top flight women football.

Making the announcement during the team’s first training session at the Nairobi City Stadium on Friday afternoon in Nairobi; head coach Ann Wairimu Ngatia was jubilant and optimistic.

“We made our first steps last season at the lowest football league, the Regional women’s football league, and we made a great mark finishing fifth. With meager financial resources and training only twice a week, we still managed to impress,” retorted Coach Ann who also urged more young women footballers to come out and try for her team.

The team was formed by former Mathare United fc and Kenya Pipeline player, Alex ‘mwango’ Mwangi.

“It was challenging at first because I have never dealt with women playing league football. So I had to look for a volunteer coach who knew how to handle young women. The ladies that we have here are different because of their socio-economic back grounds,” said Mwango who added that the bulk of his players come from Kibra, Mukuru, South B, Makongeni, Kaloleni and Korogocho slums.

Coach Ann also laments on the poor organization of the women’s football league by the federation, adding that it demoralizes the players when fixtures are disorganized and dishonored.

“Well, majority of the young women that we have here are from poor families. We are trying to rehabilitate them and keep them away from societal vices such as early marriages, drug abuse, prostitution among many other criminal activities including armed robberies which nowadays young women are heavily involved in,” lamented Coach Ann who also added that when they are not playing football, then their idle minds may be tempted to wonder into the wrong side of life.

Mwango now plans to present a detailed proposal to his seniors at the County level. “When we talk about rehabilitation, then we need to offer an escape strategy from societal wrong doings. These women need to go back to school and for those ones who have completed their education, then we can assist them to get internships, jobs and many other courses that involve life skills training. By so doing, then we can boast of having have created a harmonious society with citizens that are responsible,” finalized Mwango.