This archive report was first published on 24 November 2019.
Kenya's Harambee Starlets and coach David Ouma have made history by being nominated for the Confederation of African Football (Caf) awards, marking the second time in three years the national women's football team has received the continental recognition.
According to Caf, the nominations were announced on November 24, 2019, with Harambee Starlets and coach Ouma being recognized for their outstanding performance in the 2020 Olympic qualifiers, where they secured impressive wins over Malawi and Ghana.
Coach Ouma expressed his excitement over the nomination, stating, "I'm really excited. We have been working very hard with these talented ladies and the results are beginning to show," in an interview with Nairobi News from Dar es Salaam.
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Nick Mwendwa also reacted to the news, saying, "We are humbled by the nominations. It goes to show the good work being done behind the scenes to develop women football, hopefully, we can build on this going forward."
Kenya's recognition comes as no surprise, given the team's impressive performance in the Cecafa Women Championship, where they are preparing to face hosts Tanzania in the final on Monday.
Other notable nominees for the Caf awards include bigwigs Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Zambia, South Africa, and Nigeria, while Ugandans Dennis Onyango and Emmanuel Okwi, Rwandan Meddie Kagere, and Algerian coach Djamel Hamadi have also made the cut.
Meanwhile, Tanzanian hitman Mbwana Samatta, English Premier League stars Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Riyad Mahrez have been nominated for the prestigious African Player of the Year award.
