Hard-fighting Harambee Starlets deserve to win Caf award – Mwendwa

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Nick Mwendwa has hailed the Harambee Starlets for being nominated for the Caf Award.

The Kenyan national women’s team alongside their coach David Ouma have been shortlisted for the top Caf awards after impressing this season.

The Starlets reached the fourth round of the 2021 Tokyo Olympic qualification where they were defeated by Zambia.

Harambee Starlets' surprising wins over Malawi and Ghana in the second and third round of qualification came despite the hard-hitting financial challenges they were undergoing.

According to the shortlist released by Caf, Kenya will battle for the top award against Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia. 

Ouma will have to square it out with Alain Djeumfa of Cameroon, Bruce Mwape of Zambia, Clementine Toure of Côte d'Ivoire, South Africa's Desiree Ellis and Thomas Dennerby of Nigeria in the coach of the year awards category.

And speaking to Goal on the latest development, Mwendwa now says Starlets have done well in the past four years and they deserve to win the award.

“Our women's football team has done well for the last four years and I think this is a culmination of the good work we have done since 2016,” Mwendwa told Goal on Sunday.

“They are currently unbeaten in Tanzania [at the Cecafa tournament], they have scored 20 goals and have conceded none and you cannot take anything away from this team.

“Congratulations to the team for what they have achieved in a space of four years and we [FKF] must also take the pride for the job we have also done. This a team that can get Kenya to the women's World Cup because they have been to the Africa Cup of Nations finals.

“We are looking towards reaching the 2023 World Cup finals and this team will do it and we will support them in every way possible to achieve the fete. I know they will make it and congratulations to them once again for being recognised by Caf and they deserve the award.”

Ouma and Harambee Starlets have already qualified for the Cecafa Women's Championship final in Tanzania after sailing through the group stage and the semi-finals without tasting defeat.

Starlets will now face Tanzania in the final of the competition on Monday.

The 28th edition of the annual ceremony will be held on January 7, 2020, at Citadel Azure, Hurghada in Egypt.