Harambee Starlets Coach Explains Reason Behind Surprise Decision To Bench In-Form Violet Nanjala

© Violet Nanjala (Facebook)

Harambee Starlets Coach Explains Reason Behind Surprise Decision To Bench In-Form Violet Nanjala

Abigael Wafula 13:04 - 18.06.2025

The Harambee Starlets coach has explained the decision to bench Violet Nanjala during the CECAFA win over Uganda.

Harambee Starlets assistant coach Godfrey 'Solo' Oduor has explained the reason behind benching Violet Nanjala in Kenya’s second match of the CECAFA Women's Championship against the Crested Cranes of Uganda in Tanzania.

Harambee Starlets thrashed Uganda 4-0, with Violet Nanjala being among the scorers. Harambee Starlets started their campaign scoring through Diana Wacera before Dorcas Shikobe added another goal.

Violet Nanjala scored the third goal before Martha Amunyolete rounded up their campaign with a fourth goal. This is Harambee Starlets' second win after they thrashed Burundi 3-0 in their opening match on Sunday.

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Harambee Starlets: Why I Benched Violet Nanjala

Violet Nanjala
Violet Nanjala (extreme left). Photo credit || Timothy Olobulu and FKF

Godfrey Oduor made the deliberate decision to bench Violet Nanjala in the 59th minute, as striker Faith Mboya joined the chat.

The former Nzoia Sugar coach explained that Violet Nanjala is an efficient player, and they would want to have her play in all matches.

He revealed that Nanjala’s playing style is unique, and she uses a lot of energy on the pitch, hence the reason why she cannot be on the pitch for all 90 minutes.

“Violet is our good player, and she uses a lot of speed and energy, so you can’t expect her to be in the game for 90 minutes since she will not be the same from the start to the finish of the game,” Godfrey Oduor explained after the match.

“We tried changing her, and that was efficient to make her breathe a bit and have some energy, and that is one of the tactics we use to manage the athletes.”

Harambee Starlets: We Want to Give All Players A Chance

Harambee Starlets vs Uganda
Harambee Starlets players celebrate during their match vs Uganda. (Photo Courtesy: FKF Media) Harambee Starlets players celebrate during their match vs Uganda. (Photo Courtesy: FKF Media)

Oduor explained that he plans to allow all the players who travelled to Tanzania a chance to play and know how it feels to be in the regional tournament.

He noted that the squad lacks extensive experience, explaining that while some players are fatigued after featuring in the last two matches, they’re still needed to support the less experienced teammates.

“We have 19 players, and it is wise to allow every player to play, and you might see a rotation in the next match,” he revealed.

“The squad depth at the moment is not satisfactory because we have players who have been in action in the two matches so far.”

Harambee Starlets are set to lock horns with South Sudan on Thursday at the Azam Sports Complex, before playing against Tanzania.