Sacrificing Harambee Starlets
When Nick Mwendwa replaced Sam Nyamwea as president of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) in February 2016, one of his promises was to elevate women’s football in the country. And in counting his administration’s achievements, Mwendwa has bragging rights for taking Harambee Starlets, Kenya’s women’s side, to their first-ever Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) in 2016 in Cameroon.
Football’s European Born African Stars
It so happens that players born in Europe to African parents are now choosing to play for African countries instead of their European countries of birth; Geoffrey Kondogbia of Central African Republic, Moroccan Mehdi Benatia, Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were all born in France. Achraf Hakimi was born in Spain but plays for Morocco. This was even more apparent during the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) where the Lions of Teranga, the winning Senegalese squad consisted of players such as Bouna Sarr, Abdou Diallo, Nampalys Mendy, Edouard Mendy all of whom were born in France. Further North, Tunisia’s Wahbi Kazri was born in France while Morocco’s Hakim Ziyech is of Dutch nationality.
All Hail Aliou Cisse’s Lions of Teranga
When Mane stepped up to take the penalty, the execution was so powerful and precise that even Gabaski’s dive and stretch could not reach it. Mane hit the football with the venom of a man who was tired of anti-football, and as the net dangled from the power, the crowd in Paul Biya Stadium roared. Mane had clinched a first for his country and his manager. Football prevailed.
My AFCON Thrill So Far
And so when the word boring is floated around regarding AFCON, I wonder what kind of content passes the vibe-check. For most fans, it is undoubtedly not the tactics that glue us to the screen, nor is it the match analysis by the pundits during half-time. It is also not the commentary that got a lot of criticism when the tournament kicked off. For we ourselves are pundits and commentators, and the most talking points come from the flair on and off the pitch. And in AFCON, both of these are served in plenty. Sometimes even, to dramatic extents like when a brawl ensued after Egypt knocked out Morocco at the quarter finals.
How Journaling Saved Me
Certainly, different people have different ways of journaling. Understandably, some people may bemoan the task of writing down how they feel or what they want to achieve. But in the new media age, journaling does not have to be tied down to scribing alone. Instead, you can keep a journal by voicing your thoughts on a voice recorder or your phone. Others, brave enough to look into their own eyes while speaking their thoughts, keep journals through videos.
At Jevanjee, for the Queer Kids
It all began with a possibly-not-so-well-thought-out moralistic statement by the Cabinet Secretary for education Professor George Magoha – who’s habituated to making contentious statements – who ruffled the feathers of human and queer rights activists when he said, “Right now, there are contemporary cases of children who are homosexual and lesbians, they must go to day schools close to their homes. Your responsibility should be for the greater majority and not a few individuals. Do not allow yourselves to be intimidated by children.”
Guilt By Hair
Hair profiling is not a contemporary issue. It has its roots in the epochs of colonial days and in the missionary schools which outlined rules that controlled how students should look.
Stutchbury’s Slaying is Deja Vu for Environmental Crimes in Kenya
Stutchbury’s murder has shaken the conservation world, and understandably so because since time immemorial, Kenya has stayed on the wrong side of this fight.
Marijuana, Testosterone, and Other Hurdles to the Olympics
In a world where gender identities have become polarizing, World Athletics is battling to find its place on the right side of history.
Legends of The Olympics
