It is no longer a secret—Harambee Starlets head coach Beldine Odemba has resigned from her role, just under two years after taking the reins of the national women’s team.Follow Our WhatsApp Channel For More NewsHer unexpected departure has thrown preparations for the upcoming CECAFA Women’s Championship in Tanzania into disarray.Odemba’s final assignment was last Friday’s international friendly against Morocco in Tangier, where Kenya suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat. Preparations for that match were already undermined by some players’ strike, as the Starlets demanded unpaid allowances from their April matches against Ivory Coast.##NAJAVA_MECA_8968313##Reports indicate that Odemba stepped down due to a lack of adequate support from the Football Kenya Federation (FKF). Her exit leaves the federation’s technical department scrambling to find a replacement for the tactician, who also doubles as the head coach of Kenya Police Bullets FC.Her resignation is said to have caught FKF officials off guard. With the CECAFA Women’s Championship set to kick off on June 12 in Dar es Salaam, the federation is now in a race against time to assemble a new technical bench.Austria-based forward eyes WAFCON role with Harambee Starlets“This has brought some confusion because appointing a new coach requires the approval of the National Executive Committee (NEC). The federation must also submit the final squad for the tournament by Monday. It’s a precarious situation, but we’ll handle it—there will be a solution,” said a source familiar with the developments.FKF is reportedly considering appointing Kibera Soccer Women’s coach David Vijago as interim head coach. He would be assisted by former Vihiga Queens coach Alex Alumirah and ex-Starlets captain and coach Ann Aluoch. Although the trio has been internally discussed, they cannot officially begin work until NEC approval is granted.Farouk Shikalo opens up on Harambee Stars’ mentorship role“That’s another challenge, but everything has to be done the right way and in the best interest of the game,” the source added.Kenya’s Harambee Starlets are scheduled to open their CECAFA campaign on Saturday, June 14, against Burundi. They will then face Uganda on Tuesday, June 17, South Sudan on Thursday, June 19, and wrap up their group-stage matches with a clash against hosts Tanzania on Saturday, June 21.NSL: Darajani Gogo tails up after moving to promotion playoff position
