Harambee Starlets winger Jentrix Shikangwa says they are happy to have completed their mission in the Cecafa Women's Senior Challenge Cup 2019 tournament staged in Tanzania.
Shikangwa, who grabbed a double as Kenya beat Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro Queens 2-0 to lift the trophy staged in Dar es Salaam, says their main mission when they arrived to play in the tournament was to meet the hosts in the final and earn revenge against them.
In the 2017 edition staged in Kampala, Kenya lost 2-1 to Tanzania in the final and Shikangwa has told Goal they were still hurt from that loss and were looking to make amends this time around.
“When we knew we have qualified for final and our opponents will be [Tanzania], we all remembered what they did to us in 2017 final and needed nothing but to revenge against them,” Shikangwa told Goal.
“We knew it will not be an easy final because Tanzania were playing at home, they were also enjoying the home support but all we wanted was to beat them so as to revenge and also get the trophy.
“It is very painful to lose in the final, and 2017 final was still fresh in our minds, we knew we could make it and the coach kept pushing us to deliver and the moment we took the lead, I knew we had moved a step ahead of them [Tanzania] and when we got the second goal, now I knew the trophy was coming home.”
Shikangwa, who scored 10 goals to emerge the top scorer of the two-week tournament, says having self-belief helped Kenya to achieve their mission.
“We started to believe in ourselves from day one of the tournament and after beating Burundi in the semis, our morale went up a notch higher, we knew it was just a matter of us doing what we like doing [scoring goals] and we will win the trophy.” Shikangwa continued.
On scoring four penalties in the tournament including one in the final, Shikangwa said: “I was taught by my teacher in high school on how to take the penalties, so I never fear when I step up to take any penalty.
“I know, what to do when I want to score from the penalty spot, I know how to time the keeper and I am happy my training way back in school paid the dividend."
Kenya’s victory in the final ended Tanzania’s dominance as they had won the trophy twice in a row while Uganda also beat Burundi 2-0 to finish third.
