Football coaches at Moi Girls High school were in celebration mood when their student Sunira Manda Were was drafted in final Rising Starlets team that will face Cameroon in the FIFA Under 20 qualifiers set for this Sunday in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
On Thursday, the Rising Starlets coach Beldine Odemba has named a 23 member traveling squad that included Manda, a form two student with Robert Simyu and Joseph nzioka expressing their confidence that she will do well.
Simiyu said that Manda was named as the Most valuable Player (MVP) during both the Uasin Gishu Chapa Dimba Na Safaricom and Talanta Hela North rift region that proved her matrix to the national team.
“When she was named in the provisional team, we knew she was going to make it to the final squad because of her hard and dedicated work,” said Simiyu.
Manda, who plays with her hijab, is a holding midfielder with Simiyu saying that the girl is the future star in football.
“At her age, she was the MVP in this year’s Chapa Ndimba na Safaricom Uasin Gishu County as well as Talanta Hela tournament. She has a vision and she is the future great footballer,” said Simiyu after discovering her while in form one at the school and where her star has been glowing.
“Her talent is so high that we made her the captain of the school. Apart from the great achievements in football, she is also a good student. She is always in the top ten in class,” said Simiyu.
She has a great potential of going far in terms of Soccer and academics. She is an A plain student. She knows how to balance between soccer and academics
Odemba also leads the Kenya Police Bullets, the Kenya Women Premier League side as well as Harambee Starlets.
Starlets managed to enter into the third round following their 10-1 aggregate victory over Angola where victory in the third round would propel them into a clash with the winner of the Congo-Egypt match and a win will secure a coveted spot in the 2024 Fifa U20 Women’s World Cup, scheduled to be hosted in Colombia.
Manda will be marshalling the midfield alongside Butere Girls’ Clotilda Auma, Elizabeth Muteshi of Nakuru City Queens and Soccer Assassins’ Hellen Mito.
Travelling squad
Goalkeepers
Scovia Awuor (Kobala Secondary), Christine Omolo (Butere Girls’) and Ivonne Minage (Wiyeta).
Defenders
Rebecca Kwoba (Zetech Sparks), Rachel Adhiamb (Acakoro), Dorcas Glender (Butere Gorls’), Judith Nandwa (Butere Girls’), Ruth Akinyi (Nasokol), Ann Brenda Ochieng (Macmillan Queens), Tabitha Amoit (Wadadia), Redempter Mercy (Kobala) and Sharon Vidah Okeyo.
Midfielders
Clotilda Auma (Butere Girls’), Elizabeth Muteshi (Nakuru City Queens), Hellen Mito (Soccer Assassins), and Sunira Manda Were (Moi Girls’ Eldoret).
Forwards
Valerie Leah Nekesa (Soccer Assassins), Charity Midewa (Soccer Assassins), Anna Nabwire Arusi (Zetech Sparks), Elizabeth Mideva (Arch Bishop njenga), Sharlyne Opisa (Amus Collega), Fasila Odhiambo (Ulinzi Starlets) and Emilly Okute (Gaspo Women).