NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 24 – Former Vihiga Queens tactician Alex Alumirah has been named as the new Harambee Starlets head coach by the Football Kenya Federation Caretaker Committee.
Alumirah had left Vihiga for Tanzania at the close of last season having led them to four consecutive titles, but now comes back home to a job that he had been dreaming of for a long time.
The tactician, who will be on a contract until the end of the caretaker committee’s mandate will be assisted by former Starlets captain Ann Aluoch and Benta Achieng while Martha Karimi will serve as the new Team Manager.
“We had a very competitive and transparent process of selecting the coach. The interviews were conducted both orally and written. The coach will be in charge of the national team for the period in which the caretaker committee will be in charge and that should be up to around May,” said Retired Chief Justice Aaron Ringera, who chairs the Committee.
Kenya Police FC head coach and former Harambee Stars coach John Bobby Ogolla who is also a member of the Committee said that Alumirah impressed them with his submissions during the interviews.
“He is a coach who has been in women football for a long time and he really impressed us with his presentations. I think he is the best man for the job,” Ogolla said.
Alumirah takes over from Charles Okere who had been appointed by the ousted Federation last year. Sources intimate that Okere had been asked to re-apply for the job but he declined.
The new tactician, who has been hunting for the national team for a long time comes in with expectations to guide the team back to Continental football, having narrowly missed the 2018 showpiece while the 2020 tournament was cancelled.
“It is a great honor to be given this responsibility and this is something that I am really looking forward to. I am here to guide the team to the best of my knowledge and our main job is to take the team to the Cup of Nations. I wish to promise everyone that we will put in lots of effort and we will see good results,” said the coach.
Alumirah will only have two matches in charge; the home and away qualifier against Uganda’s Crested Cranes. They travel to Kampala for the first leg on February 13 before hosting the Crested Cranes for the return duel four days later in Nairobi.
Starlets progressed to the second and final round of qualification after a 15-1 whitewash of South Sudan in the first round.
“I feel that I am up to the task because most of the national team players have passed through my hands, It is a good challenge and I believe with everyone’s support we will do well,” he said.
The coach has also said he will retain the squad that did duty in the first round victory over South Sudan, saying he already has a provisional squad of about 40 players in mind.
“There will be no biasness in selection. We will name a very competitive squad. There was a team in place and we will not dismantle anything. Don’t expect too many changes in the team because it will look like we want to disrupt things. Transitions are done in a smooth way,” said the coach.
Meanwhile, Aluoch who skippered the team to their first AWCON in 2016 says she is excited to cross into the coaching divide with the national team. She currently coaches Mathare United Women in the FKF Premier League.
“I am really excited to be here and I know it is a huge challenge. Hopefully we can work together and deliver the AWCON dream to Kenya again,” she stated.
