Kayole Starlets' Unstoppable Ascent: Coaches and Captain Reflect on KWPL Promotion

After two years in the cold, Kayole Starlets have earned their return to the top tier of women's football. Losing last season's play-off fueled their drive for direct promotion this year, and they achieved it. 

Their coach, Mary Adhiambo “Busu”, did not give up; instead, she used the promotion playoff loss as a catalyst in her quest to chase a slot in the Kenya Women Premier League (KWPL). Finally, this season, her efforts bore fruit as her side emerged the winners of the Women's National Super League (WNSL) Zone A.

Mary feels that the team has achieved its season's objective by earning promotion to KPWL. “ Yes, I can feel that achievement. I can feel we have achieved our season objective, because when I joined this team, we were in the Premier League, and the challenges made us drop, and now we're back.”

The side garnered 50 points, 6 points above their archrival Mathare United, who finished second with 44 points. On the run, they managed to get 15 wins, 5 draws, and tasted a defeat only once. With conceding only 6 goals, Kayole Starlets had the best defensive record in the league. Their home ground was a fortress, as they didn't let in any goals.

In front of the goal, their attack proved to be dangerous as they scored 36 goals, which was the second highest in the league after Bandari Queens, who scored 44 goals. Shalin Otieno “Dota” topped the top scores chart for Kayole Starlets in all competitions.

Silencing Doubters and Early Preparations

At Afraha Stadium, Kayole Starlets silenced WNSL Zone B winners, Soccer Assassins (Madira girls), with a dominant 3-0 victory to claim the overall WNSL title. Mary Atieno's team sealed the win with three quick-fire goals in the first half.

Kayole Starlets Celebrate Victory in Nakuru C) Courtesy

According to Chris Kach, Kayole Starlets' BetPawa Cup exit against Ztech Sparks led many to doubt their chances in the playoff finals.

 “We had a setback in our match against Ztech, so most people ruled us off.”

Coach Mary feels their early preparation in the season played a pivotal role in their promotion. “What has helped us is that we started our preseason early.”

She adds that bolstering the squad with the new faces was also a hit. “ We made our signings early and integrated the players into the team during the pre-season; this helped the team bond.”

The coach has hailed his players for the determined efforts they have been putting in to see the club return to the KWPL. “I feel very happy with their work rate and thank them for their success, and I believe this success is for us all, and we deserve to celebrate together.”

As they look ahead to the KWPL next season, captain Shalin Otieno has emphasised the importance of her teammates staying cohesive. “Let's continue working as a team and help each other to achieve our goals.”

Shalin considers herself a lucky charm because she scored or assisted both Kayole Starlets' opening and closing goals of the season. “I feel like I was a good luck charm; the first game to play was against Macmillan, and it was I who started with the first goal in the last game of the season in the playoffs; I also scored the last goal.”

Chris Kach has fired a warning to the KWPL teams as he assured them that it's not going to be business as usual. Kayole Starlets give a spirited fight against the league heavyweights. “I assure you there will be good competitive matches in KPWL; our fans should expect more.”

The gaffer thanked the fans for rallying behind the team for the entire campaign. “Thanks, everyone, plus the fans who have pushed the team; we love them so much.”

Feature Image credit: FKF Women NSL