The Kenyan girls’ flogged Zanzibar in the last group match of 2016 Cecafa tournament played on Thursday in Jinja, Uganda
Harambee Starlets roared to an emphatic 11-0 demolition of Zanzibar in their final Group match of Cecafa on Thursday.
Having won all their previous matches against Uganda and Brurundi, coach David Ouma opted for an almost new squad benching goal-poachers Neddy Atieno, Esse Akida and Mary Kinuthia against the Zanzibari team which had not counted a single victory in the tournament.
Christine Nafula and Jacky Ogol opened the floodgates in the first half ending the period with a 3-0 lead with Nafula managing a brace. Nafula completed the brace in the 32nd minute having scored her first goal in the 12th minute to allow Ogol etch her name on the score sheet at the stroke of the 45th minute.
Hapless Zanzibar looked completely lost in the game leaving the control gear to the Starlets whose energy, vigour and style coloured the field in the entire 45 minutes. Ouma, made a triple substitution on return from the tunnel bringing in the powerhouse of NEK – Neddy, Esse and Kinuthia – just after Mercy Achieng’ had scored Harambee Starlets’ fourth in the 48th minute.
What followed was a real mess for Zanzibar as scoring by Kenya became a routine. Neddy and Kinuthia played more of support role as Akida criss-crossed the pitch with goals hunting tempo from which she comfortably converted two in 72nd and 83nd minutes. By this time, Christine Nafula had grabbed her hat-trick in the 69th minute.
Jacky Ogol stepped up in the 70th minute to complete her brace from the spot nine minutes before Corazone Vivian started her hat-trick campaign. Eight goals had been scored and Corazone remembered that Uganda had walloped Zanzibar 9-0 and Burundi had done it 10-1 meaning that Kenya had to do something more than that.
Corazone scored her first goal in the 79th minute, added another one in the 89th minute and surpassed the 10-goals record against Zanzibar at the stroke of injury time. Nothing was left and the centre referee basically rescued the helpless Zanzibar by her last whistle declaring Kenya 11-0 winners.
Harambee Starlets: Samantha Akinyi, Irene Ogutu, Terry Ouko, Dorcas Shikobe, Mercy Achieng, Jackline Akoth, Jacky Ogol, Corazon Aquino, Doreen Nabwire, Elizabeth Ambogo, Christine Nafula.
Subs: Esse Akida, Neddy Atieno, Vivian Akinyi, Wendy Achieng, Mary Kinuthia, Cheris Avilia and Carolyne Onyango.
Zanzibar: A.Gitambi, M.Abdullahi (C), R.Mohamed, M.Ali, W.Abdulla, F.Salum, M. Hassan, N.Ahmed, Z.Rashid, S.Yussuf, A.Mtumwa.