Shime hails Twiga Stars’ title triumph

DAR EES SALAAM: TWIGA Stars head coach Bakari Shime has commended his charges for their exceptional performance after securing the CECAFA Women’s Senior Championship title with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Kenya at the Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam on Saturday.

The win marks Tanzania’s third CECAFA title and caps a flawless campaign for the Twiga Stars, who remained unbeaten and remarkably did not concede a single goal throughout the tournament.

“They have done a fantastic job, playing at 100 per cent from the first match to the last,” Shime stated after the match, praising his players’ consistency and determination.

“Our opponents, Kenya, were strong and gave us a tough game. This has been a good test ahead of the upcoming WAFCON tournament.” The decisive goal of the final came in the 52nd minute from an unfortunate own goal by Kenyan defender Enez Mango.

ALSO READ: Dar giants stare at crown

Attempting to clear a dangerous cross from Clara Luvanga, Mango m is judged her clearance and inadvertently directed the ball past her own goalkeeper, who had strayed off her line. Twiga Stars controlled much of the encounter , dominating possession and applying relentless pressure on the Kenyan midfield .

The Tanzanian side created several opportunities to extend their lead, but were narrowly off-target on multiple occasions. Kenya, for their part, adopted a deep defensive line and relied on counterattacks.

Their most promising moment came in the 84th minute, when Martha Emedot unleashed a powerful strike from distance, only to be denied by Tanzanian goalkeeper Najiat Idrisa, who was well-positioned to make a crucial save.

Shortly afterwards, Clara Luvanga nearly doubled the lead for Twiga Stars, finding herself oneon-one with the Kenyan keeper, who did well to block the attempt with quick footwork. Kenya’s head coach, Beldine Odemba, congratulated Tanzania, acknowledging the valuable lessons her team gained.

“Congratulations on the win they have shown they are ready for WAFCON. This has been an important learning experience for us, showing where we need to improve ahead of future competitions, including the WAFCON qualifiers.” The tournament also highlighted several standout individual performances. Opa Clement secured the Golden Boot with five goals, while Diana Lucas was named Best Player of the Tournament for her consistent excellence.

Najiat Idrisa earned the Golden Glove for her four clean sheets and Clara Luvanga was recognised as the Player of the Match in the final.