Harambee Starlets Coach Beldine Odemba Accuses Simba Queens of Blocking Players From National Duty

Harambee Starlets coach Beldine Odemba has accused Tanzanian giants Simba Queens of preventing several Kenyan players from reporting for national team duty.

Several Harambee Starlets internationals currently ply their trade at Simba Queens, including Jentrix Shikangwa, Ruth Ingosi, Corazone Aquino, Carolyne Rufa, Elizabeth Wambui, Fasila Adhiambo, and Cynthia Shilwatso.

With the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations set to take place in Morocco from July 25 to August 16, securing the availability of these players will be crucial to Beldine Odemba’s preparations.

However, unless the standoff between Simba Queens and the national team is resolved, the Harambee Starlets coaching staff may be forced to adjust their plans ahead of the tournament.

Coach Beldine Odemba explained that when assembling the national team for crucial assignments, communication with certain clubs, particularly Simba Queens, has often been challenging, as squad selections are sometimes met with refusals or conditions regarding player availability.

Odemba noted that despite official call-ups being issued, the response from the club frequently includes formal correspondence indicating that some players cannot be made available for international duty.

Beldine Odemba further pointed out that in several instances, explanations are provided suggesting fitness concerns or medical limitations, even though the same players are later seen participating in domestic league matches shortly afterwards.

“We call other players and other clubs, especially Simba; they decide who to release and who not to release. Most of the time, we call players, and we get a lot of letters from them saying that they are unable to release player one or two,” Beldine Odemba said.

“Sometimes they follow up with a medical report stating that the players are not ready to play or are injured, but you still see them featuring in the league.”

Odemba added that maintaining effective communication with the club has been difficult, leading to ongoing challenges in coordinating player availability for national team assignments.

She pointed out that efforts are being considered at an administrative level to improve the situation, including engaging football authorities and the club itself to establish a clearer and more cooperative working relationship.

Odemba expressed optimism that such interventions could help create better alignment in the future, ensuring smoother coordination between all parties involved.

“It has not been easy to communicate between them and us, but we hope that we can do something from the office or as a federation, write to their federation or speak to the team and understand how we can work together smoothly,” Beldine Odemba said.

At the moment, Harambee Starlets are gearing up for the Four Nations Tournament in Lusaka, Zambia. ‎‎The tournament will feature Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso.