Reigning Women Soccer champions Vihiga Queens head coach Alex Alumira has lamented that the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed
the momentum his team had built for their bid to defend the Kenya Women Premier League title.
Vihiga have won the WPL title for three straight years and the holders had just completed twelve weeks of intense training before all sport was halted in the country and around the globe in due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.
Alumira says his players are conducting individual training at home while adhering to safety guidelines which he drew up but
admitted he finds that set-up ‘strange’.
“It’s a bit hard training in isolation because it is never ideal for a team sport. I monitor them through calls but it just doesn’t feel the same,” Alumira said.
The tactician stressed that they are still as hungry for the title as when they clinched it three years ago and are eager to start another cycle of winning the league.
Vihiga had recruited Ugandan international Joan Nabirye, striker Bridgets Muhonja from Mudavadi Girls High School and midfielder Mwanakombo Sumeiya from Madira Girls High School ahead of their title defense bid.
Ugandan Nabirye was signed to replace Harambee Stars ace Cynthia Shilwatso who joined Spanish Premier League side FC Logrono.
Alumira has urged the County Government of Vihiga – the team’s sponsor – to speed up the plans of building a stadium so that the team can be playing their home matches in Vihiga and not in Kakamega’s Bukhungu.
The experienced tactician he is able to monitor his players easily as all of them are based in Vihiga and thus unaffected by the ban on movement in and out of areas worst hit by the coronavirus
