Dj Vnyash
The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) is encouraging more women to enter the coaching field. Lilian Nandudu, the FKF Mombasa County chair, expressed hope that the recent graduation of Dalcie Samba, Velma Yambo, and Damaris Njeri with their CAF ‘D’ licenses will motivate women in Mombasa to explore coaching careers.
Currently, women make up less than five percent of the 1,200 qualified coaches in Mombasa. Nandudu emphasized the need for more female coaches to develop women’s football from the grassroots level.
The Mombasa trio was among 30 participants who completed a 10-day coaching course. Nandudu highlighted the course’s broad reach, noting that it attracted coaches from various counties, including Murang’a, Nyandarua, Lamu, Tana River, and Nairobi.
Samba, a former Harambee Starlets international and Bandari Queens player, cited Jackline Juma—Kenya’s first female coach of a men’s top-tier team—as a major inspiration. Samba hopes to inspire more girls to pursue coaching careers and bring a nurturing perspective to the sport.
Njeri, from Nyandarua County, aims to create opportunities for shy, talented girls. She is set to become the head coach at Dasha FC in Murang’a and is passionate about supporting girls who may lack encouragement.
Farid Mohamed, head of business at Bulla Sports, supported FKF’s efforts and stressed the importance of combining sport with education. Bulla Sports plans to employ two of the 30 graduates in their academies in Mombasa and Nairobi, emphasizing that education is essential for the development of sports and employability.
