Paltry Sh350,000 aw*rd for Thika irks football fans
The Sh350,000 awarded to winners of the 2020/21 Football Kenya Federation Women’s Premier League, Thika Queens, has sparked outrage in the football community.
Football observers claim the amount is too little and accused FKF of not taking women’s football seriously after failing to honour their promise of awarding the league winner Sh1 million from the Sh10 million set aside this season.
Thika received Sh350,000, while runner’s up Gaspo Women got a paltry Sh150,000, a drop in the ocean considering that teams like Gaspo spent over Sh400,000 over the weekend to honour the playoffs.
Thika beat Gaspo Women 3-0 to take the crown at the Nakuru ASK Grounds on Sunday.
This is Thika’s third title and the club is ecstatic to have clinched the premiership title.
“Finally we are the premier league champions. Congratulations to Gaspo Women for taking the second position.
It was a great match,” Thika Queens said in a club statement. Gaspo went into the match needing to avoid a repeat of 2019 finals where they lost to outgoing champions Vihiga Queens, but despite a brave fight they came up short as once Thika Queens proved invisible as they won the league unbeaten.
After over half an hour of goalless exchanges, evergreen Rachael Muema broke the deadlock in the 38th minute to give Thika a slim 1-0 lead at halftime.
After the breather, impressive Kenya international Esse Akida used her vast experience to extend Thika’s lead to 2-0 following a timely delivery into the area that she shot into the back of the net in the 57th minute.
Eight minutes later, Akida was on the scoresheet again to complete her brace and Thika’s third and final goal of the match to put the encounter beyond Gaspo’s reach in the 65th minute.
Besides league title, Thika also scooped individual awards where Kenya international Mwanahalima Adams took the Most Valuable Player and the Golden Boot titles as Monica Karambu won the best goalkeeper of the season award.
Thika, who won Zone A league unbeaten, knocked out debutants Nakuru Queens in the semifinals, while Gaspo Women shocked defending champions Vihiga Queens in the other play-off to also qualify for the final.
