Kenya Police's Odemba calls for professionalization women’s football leagues

Kenya's Women Premier League champions Kenya Police Bullets head coach Beldine Odemba believes national women’s team Harambee Starlets can reap big from professionalization of women’s leagues.  

Odemba has challenged Football Kenya Federation secure sponsorship for the league to facilitate its operations, a feat that will also help local players ply their trade abroad.

The CAF A license holder feels that introducing price money for the domestic leagues will spice up competition as a way of strengthening the national team in the long term.

"Option one, which is my dream is to see Women's League being professionalized.

“Have strong teams contending in the top-tier league and this will produce competitive players for Harambee Starlets." said Odemba.

"Option two, is to have League sponsors where the participating teams will have almost equal financial muscle, pay our players well and have them stay in our league.

“If a player is paid well, she will not see any need of going to ply her trade overseas. This will still be beneficial to the National team." she added.

She was speaking to Citizen Digital after her side clinched the topflight title following their 6-2 demolition of Zetech Sparks last weekend, making her the first female coach ever to lead a club to a KWPL title.

Their title conquest was confirmed after their closest challengers and the defending Champions Vihiga Queens were held to a barren draw by Nakuru City Queens at the Nakuru ASK showground on Saturday.

"I won't say our League is not competitive at the moment because there are Vihiga (Queens) and Ulinzi (Starlets), who are formidable sides but i would love to see a situation where each league match turns to be a final as early as at the onset of the season," she expressed 

"The buck stops with FKF whom i believe can make this League more competitive to even attracting foreign players the way Tanzanian Women League has been attracting foreigners, including our very own (Kenyans)" she narrated.

The win took them to 46 points, five above second-placed Vihiga Queens, having won 14 and drawn four, avoiding a defeat the entire season. Police have won all their home matches this season, scoring 51 goals against only 15 conceded.

"We knew we would win this but not this 'early', we thought it would be until the last day of the season but me and my girls are not celebrating yet because we have unfinished business against Bunyore Starlets on June 26".

"We want to finish strong and unbeaten before we throw celebrations" declared the former Starlets coach.

She added that they will reinforce the team ahead of the CAF Club competition, having gotten the ticket to fight for the slot from the CECAFA region.

"At least i am looking forward to the CAF Champions League. We will make two or three additions because i am hopeful that our injured players shall have recovered by the time we are starting this competition,” said the tactician.

Earlier this year, Odemba stepped down as Harambee Starlets and Rising Starlets coach, to put all her effort to guiding Police Bullets to the Kenyan Women Premier League (KWPL) title, a decision that has born fruits.