In the second snippet of the soon-to-be launched biography dubbed “Chained”, former Beşiktaş forward Esse Akida gives a detailed look into her journey with the Harambee Starlets at the 2016 CECAFA Tournament, while giving a sneak-peek of the team’s buildup to their debut participation at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations later that year.Akida, 31, will this weekend (Saturday 7 September) launch her new book at the Kenya National Library -Upper Hill in association with leading Kenyan sports website Mozzart Sport Kenya.The book is however currently available on pre-order.This coming Saturday, we have a launch. Even Partner: @MozzartSportKe#CHAINED #Akida_14 #WomenFootball #Books pic.twitter.com/OyTPPUBbrH— Esse Akida (@akida_14) September 2, 2024 Here is a look of the exclusive snipped entitled: “Nabwire’s Return and the 2016 CECAFA”We were to be in Uganda between 11th to 20th September. Still with the core players that had travelled to Spain for the COTIF Tournament. We began our campaign with a 4-0 win over hosts Uganda. I bagged a brace with Mary Kinuthia and Aquino scoring a goal each. Burundi was our next opponent in the group and we sailed 4-0 winners. I got a goal, Neddy Atieno got two with Kinuthia scoring the other. Zanzibar was our last group opponent and I think they wished they shouldn’t have shown up for the game. I bagged another brace as we ran 11-0 winners. Aquino helped herself to a hattrick so was Christine Nafula. So, I had five goals from the three group games.Leading the group meant that we met Ethiopia in the semis and what a game it was. They gave us all the problems in the world and the fans said the game ought to have been the final game of the tournament. This is the game where I came to know striker Loza Abera who currently plies her trade in have native Ethiopia with Commercial Bank of Ethiopia FC (CBE). She is still one of the finest players to come out of East Africa and she tormented us that day. She was to give her side a first-half lead with a well-taken goal after our defense had been caught napping. ##NAJAVA_MECA_8314453##I don’t know what happened to me that day but each time I was lost in the game, Neddy or Kinuthia had a way of showing up and this was Neddy’s game. She restored parity earlier in the second half and gave us the lead just minutes after the hour mark. Caroline Anyango thought she had eased pressure when she scored a third 15 minutes from time but Abera struck again in the closing stages for a frantic finish. While we held on for a 3-2 win, it was one of the best games I ever played in the CECAFA Tournament.The win meant we were to meet Tanzania in the finals and it was another cracker. Having participated in COTIF and made it to AWCON, we were clear favorites heading into the tournament but as we were to learn, there were still a lot of gaps we needed to work on if we were to compete with the best. Mwanahalima Omari was our chief tormentor that day as she scored a first-half brace even though the second goal didn’t cross the line, her first goal was a thing of beauty. She caught keeper Samantha Akinyi napping with her long-range effort finding the back of the net. The ill-tempered game saw us protest the second goal and the game had to be stopped for a long time with coach Ouma forced into the field of play to calm the chaos. Christine Nafula pulled a goal back earlier in the second half but we were just not able to get that goal to send us to extra time. I don’t want to blame fatigue but there were just things that I felt didn’t go right. We didn’t have time to mourn over our CECAFA title loss and despite having a warm welcome back at home, it was time again to prepare for a camp in Morocco. The federation had picked the North African country in the last months of preparations to prepare us for the weather we were to expect in Cameroon. Ouma had been slowly trying to integrate new faces in the team more so in attack to fill the void left by Dogo. While he preferred me, Neddy and Kinuthia to lead a three-pronged attack, there is a feeling that he wanted Kinuthia to play as a 10 because that was her best position and not on the wing. So Ouma called up Bertha Omita, Pauline Naise and Janet Moraa for our trip to Morocco to gauge what they could bring to the team and if they could adapt to wing play. It was my first serious interaction with the trio and Omita stood out for me. I saw her more as an out-to-out striker but there was no way she was going to replace Neddy at that point. If Neddy missed AWCON then Omita should have made the trip but I think Ouma had already decided on who he wanted for the tournament. It’s the same time that Ouma dropped Sharon Aluoch, Terry Ouko, Mercy Achieng, Caroline Kiget and Maureen Ater. I felt we needed Terry in the team owing to her experience. She was one of the most experienced players in the team and while she might have not played a lot of games, her experience was needed.
