BY REBECCA GICHANA
The national women’s football team, Harambee Starlets will face off Spanish side RDC Espanyol on Tuesday 2 August from 8:15 pm EAT in their second match of the ongoing COTIF Women Football Tournament in Valencia Spain.
The national side posted a resounding 3-0 win over Portuguese reigning champions CF Benfica in their opening group A match on Sunday 31 July where Kenyan Women Premier League side Zone A Spedag FC striker scored all the three goals.
Despite having a match in hand, the national side has qualified to the semifinals of the six-day invitational six-team tournament following the exit of CF Benfica posted a 2-0 defeat against RDC Espanyol against on Monday 1 August.
Following their 1-0 win over Spanish side Elche CF, Venezuela national team has booked a semifinal slot in the tournament in Group B. In a Group B encounter that will decide who joins Venezuela in the semifinals, it will be all-Spanish duel as Elche CF face off Betis on Tuesday 2 August.
The results against CF Betis was a fourth straight win for the David Ouma-coached side since April following their resounding 4-0 win over the Crested Cranes of Uganda in July in an international friendly match. Starlets defeated ABC Mathare United under-16 boys side 3-0 and went ahead to pick a 8-0 win over Olivet Nazarene University from USA on Thursday 28 July as part of their preparation for the tournament.
This is the first time a national women football team from Kenya has graced an international tournament and this came by the success of Harambee Starlets after making history to book their maiden Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) finals that is set in 19 November to 3 December in the two cities of Yaunde and Limbe. Starlets eliminated North African side Algeria to book a finals ticket in the continental Show-piece early in April.
The 2016 edition of COTIF annual tournament has attracted six teams; two national teams of Venezuela and Kenya and CF Benfica from Portugal, Elche CF RDC Espanyol and Betis all from Spain.
