Harambee Starlets' Enez Mango joins Romanian top-tier league team
Harambee Starlets defender Enez Mango during a training session at Stade Lar Dior in Thies, Senegal.
Harambee Starlets defender, Enez Mango, has joined Romanian second-tier side ASU Politehnica Timișoara Feminina on a one-year contract, with an option to extend her stay at the club.
The 33-year-old Mango joins Politehnica from Romanian top-flight side Farul Constanța, where she has spent four seasons since moving from four-time Football Kenya Federation Women’s Premier League (FKF-WPL) champions Vihiga Queens in 2022.
Speaking exclusively to Nation Sport on Sunday, Mango said she was delighted with the move, adding that the opportunity to reunite with midfielder Laura Rus at the club is among the things that made her move to Timișoara. Rus is one of the prominent figures in the Romanian women’s football league.
“I am super excited to join the club because Rus, who is one of the best players in the history of Romanian football, is there. I played with her at Farul Constanța, but she left earlier. Playing with her again presents an amazing opportunity for me because we had a great connection on the field,” said Mango.
“Timișoara is a powerhouse in women’s football in Romania, and I also love the city and the conditions at the club.”
Harambee Starlets defender Enez Mango in action during a previous match at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi.
Mango is expected to join her new teammates once she secures a Romanian visa.
The experienced defender had also attracted interest from two other Romanian clubs, CS Gloria Bistrița and ASU Politehnica Timișoara, before opting to join Politehnica.
Based in the western Romanian city of Timișoara, Politehnica was founded in 2019 by the Polytechnic University of Timișoara. The club is currently pushing for promotion to the top flight next season.
The move marks a new chapter in Mango’s European career following a successful four-year spell at Farul, where she played alongside fellow Starlets goalkeeper Lilian Awuor.
Mango joined Farul in 2022 from Vihiga Queens, where she served as captain and played a key role in the club’s success.
During her time at Farul, she won two league titles and captained the side. She also featured alongside Awuor in the preliminary rounds of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Before moving to Romania, Mango played a key role in Vihiga Queens’ dominance of Kenyan women’s football, helping the club win four FKF-WPL titles.
In 2021, she captained the Western Kenya-based side to the Cecafa Women’s Club Championship title, a victory that secured the club’s historic qualification for the inaugural Caf Women’s Champions League.
Harambee Starlets defender Enez Mango during a past training session.
The 33-year-old has been part of the Starlets setup since 2015 and has featured in several international assignments, including Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) qualification campaigns and the finals.
She was part of Kenya’s squad at this year’s Wafcon in Morocco, where Starlets were drawn in Group A alongside hosts Morocco, Algeria and Senegal. Kenya, however, exited at the group stage after losing all three.
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