Kenya’s women’s national amputee football team narrowly lost 1-0 to Poland on Sunday in the third-place playoff match at the recently concluded World Amputee Football Federation (WAFF) Women’s World Cup, held at Romelio Martinez Stadium in Barranquilla, Colombia.
Speaking to People Sport by phone from Colombia yesterday, Kenya’s head coach Abdalla Otieno expressed pride in his team’s achievements, calling their World Cup debut a historic milestone in amputee football.
“It’s the first time our ladies are competing on such a global stage. This is remarkable, what an achievement. I am so proud of them for making history, not only in Africa but across the world,” he ecstatically averred.
He added that he plans to hold discussions with the federation to strengthen the squad for future international competitions.
Otieno, whi is assisted by Sharon Nyaeko, began their campaign with a nil-all draw against Haiti, followed by a 2-0 victory over Peru and a hard-fought 1-0 win against England, propelling them to the top of Group B and into the quarterfinals.
In a challenging quarterfinal match, Kenya edged out Ukraine with a 1-0 win but narrowly lost by the same margin to hosts Colombia in the semifinals.
Colombia went on to claim the championship title.
In the third-place playoff, Otieno and Nyaeko prepared their team mentally for the battle against Poland, but a late goal from Poland dashed Kenya’s hopes for a podium finish, placing them fourth in their World Cup debut—a remarkable accomplishment that has sparked pride and anticipation as Kenya eagerly awaits the return of its heroes.
