School Games starlets primed for Olympic duty

Harambee Starlets head coach David Ouma has praised the quality of competition on show at the ongoing Kenya Secondary Nationals School Games in Kisumu.

Ouma who is on a scouting mission at the annual schools event says he has already identified seven players whom he will invite to camp for the Olympics qualifiers set for August 28 and September 1.

The stars primed for Starlets camp are Agnes Mbone, Providence Kasiala, Mercy Okoth and Ivy Chepkirui all from Nyanza’s Nyakach Girls, Violet Wanyonyi, Anna Avusi of Bishop Njenga and St.Johns’ left back Fondo Amina.

The Starlets boss says he expects the players to report to camp after the August 17-26 East Africa Games set for Arusha, Tanzania.

“I believe schools games are the backbone of the growth of not only football but sports in general in Kenya and that’s as federation we have decided to have a scouting mission project during school championships and Chapa Dimba,” Ouma told Citizen Digital.

According to Ouma , the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) in 2016 launched a scouting mission project in schools games starting from county level and he says even football clubs have already started to align themselves with different schools to feed them with potent talents.

“We have scouting officers in every school games competition fully funded by the federation and our mission is to tap talent,” he added.

The Kenyan queens are scheduled to face off Malawi in the second round of Olympics qualifiers on August 28 in Lilongwe before playing host of the second leg in Machakos on September 1 with the winners set to play against either Ghana or Angola in the third round.

Notable players who were scouted last year from school games and who have been included in the Ouma’s provisional squad are Elizabeth Katungwa from Kwale Girls, Mwanahalima Adam of Thika Queens and Vivian Corazone who plays her trade with Gaspo.

Meanwhile, Ouma has maintained that the squad he named few weeks ago was based on merit and not as a punishment to the ‘trade unionists’ regular members.

Regular faces axed were Israel based striker Esse Mbeyu Akida, long serving Mary Kinuthia, Cheris Avilia and Neddy Atieno among others.