Harambee Starlets Coach Reveals Pending Allowances as She Sends Special Request to President Ruto

Harambee Starlets coach Beldine Odemba has asked for the players’ allowances to be cleared, as she sent a humble plea to President William Ruto ahead of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Harambee Starlets are making a return to the continental stage after 10 years and will be out to make a mark. They are in Group A alongside Algeria, Senegal and Morocco.

The Starlets made their WAFCON debut in Cameroon in 2016, which proved to be a difficult experience, as they lost all three group-stage matches.

They opened with a 3-1 defeat to Ghana, suffered an identical 3-1 loss to Mali, and concluded their campaign with a heavy 4-0 defeat to Nigeria.

Speaking during one of their training sessions, Beldine Odemba revealed that the players are still waiting to receive their allowances from the previous two matches, noting that timely financial support would go a long way in boosting the squad's morale ahead of the tournament.

She explained that the team also expressed a desire to be officially flagged off by President William Ruto, saying such a gesture would demonstrate the country's confidence in their abilities and reinforce the significance of their historic WAFCON campaign.

The Harambee Starlets head coach added that the squad remains optimistic about the support they will receive as they prepare to represent Kenya on the continental stage.

She expressed hope that Harambee Stars would receive the same level of recognition, backing, and incentives that have previously been extended to Harambee Stars, while also calling on the president to help rally Kenyans behind the Starlets as they seek to make the nation proud in Morocco.

“The girls have not received their allowances for the past two matches, and they need something to motivate them. They have asked that the president see them off; of course, that means something; it means support,” Beldine Odemba added.

“We are also looking forward to seeing what is in store for us. We hope that we can be treated the same as the men were being treated. We hope that the president can rally fans behind us and give us good motivation.”

Beldine Odemba also praised the atmosphere within the camp, saying she had been impressed by the players' commitment, unity, and positive attitude throughout preparations for the tournament.

She noted that the squad has worked diligently in training and developed strong chemistry, giving her confidence ahead of the team's opening fixture.

Odemba explained that the FIFA Series also provided a valuable opportunity to assess the team, although she acknowledged there were still aspects of their game that required fine-tuning.

She added that a coach can never feel completely prepared before a major tournament because the quality and style of the opposition remain uncertain until the competition unfolds.

While encouraged by the progress Harambee Starlets have made, Odemba stressed that the technical bench was continuing to refine a few key areas as they looked ahead to their opening WAFCON clash against Morocco with optimism.

“I want Kenyans to send these girls positive vibes that can steer them so that they can also feel good and represent the country that they love with all their hearts. If you look at the core of the team, the players who were in action at the FIFA series are here, and they did very well,” Beldine Odemba said.

“Maybe it was a blessing in disguise that we didn’t play the WAFCON then, that we are playing it now. It helped us to be readier.”