Valarie Nekesa (right) of Madira Girls High School from Western Region and Praxidies Shivikhwa of Wiyeta Girls High School from Rift Valley Region vie for the ball during their football match at the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association Term Two Games at Bukhungu Stadium in Kakamega County on August 9, 2023. The teams drew 1-1.
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Meet Valarie Nekesa, the teen star behind Soccer Assassins rise
What you need to know:
- Next month, the Form Two student at Madira Girls Secondary School in Vihiga County will lead the attack as the “Soccer Assassins” make their debut in the 2023/24 Kenya Women’s Premier League.
At just 16 years, Valarie Nekesa’s football career is already growing in leaps and bounds.
Next month, the Form Two student at Madira Girls Secondary School in Vihiga County will lead the attack as the “Soccer Assassins” make their debut in the 2023/24 Kenya Women’s Premier League.
Madira will become the first girls’ secondary school to play in the women’s top flight league.
They achieved this feat after finishing top of Zone B of the Division One League with 46 points. They went on to be crowned overall Division One champions after beating Zone A winners Kibera Soccer Ladies 4-1 in the play-off final last weekend with forward Nekesa netting a brace.
The two sides got Sh500,000 prize money courtesy of the government. Nekesa also won the Golden Boot prize after scoring an impressive 39 goals from 22 matches.
A day before their win over Kibra Soccer Girls, Madira were crowned the Chapa Dimba Vihiga County champions and guess who was the top scorer? Nekesa once again, scoring the winning goal in their 1-0 win over Maroon Queens at Mumboha grounds, Luanda Sub-County.
The winners walked away with Sh75,000 and qualified for the regionals set for later this month in Kakamega County.
Madira and Nekesa are not stopping there as they are also featuring at this year’s Secondary Schools Term Two National Games currently taking place in Kakamega County.
“I am grateful for the milestones I have achieved in this short span, but I am not letting it get into my head because it has taken a lot to get to this stage,” said Nekesa, who started playing football while in Standard Seven at Mukuyu Primary School in Murangá County.
“I started playing football with boys and could not even pass the ball but they taught me and I slowly got better with time,” she added.
The player said that she has improved a lot since joining Madira in 2021 in Form One. She played for Football Kenya Federation Murang’a County League side Murangá Queens after finishing primary school.
Nekesa, who hails from Lwandeti, Lugari Constituency in Kakamega County, cannot wait to play in the women’s top-flight league.
“I’m happy I will achieve my dream of playing in the KWPL next season because that will open more opportunities for me. My role model is Jentrix Shikangwa and I admire some of her achievements like leading Vihiga Queens to win the 2021 Cecafa regional title,” added Nekesa.
Her dream is to play for Arsenal women’s team. She looks up to winger Bukayo Saka, who features for the Gunners’ men’s side.
Nekesa’s immediate task, however, is to help Madira win their maiden national title in Kakamega.
They are well on track to reach the semi-final after amassing four points from their first two games. A draw against Nyanza’s Lwak Girls Secondary School on Thursday will secure their place in the last four.
