Rampant Starlets crush Zanzibar 11-0 in final Cecafa group match

National women’s football team, Harambee Starlets, trounced Zanzibar 11-0 in their final Group match of the women’s Cecafa Challenge Cup tournament on Thursday afternoon.

The Starlets, who became the first side to book a place in the last four on Tuesday after thrashing Burundi 4-0 and blowing away Uganda’s Crested Cranes by the same scoreline in their opening match are now certainly the tournament favourites.

Midfielders, Christine Nafula and Corazon Aquino led the demolition with both grabbing hat-tricks while hotshot Esse Akida (2), Jacky Ogol (2) and Mercy Achieng (1) each got a piece of the goal fest.

Despite resting a couple of first team players, Head Coach David Ouma watched as the Starlets cruised past the Zanzibar, taking a 3-0 lead in the first half before thumping in another eight goals in the second half.

Nafula opened the scoring in the 12th minute, after being set up by Doreen Nabwire before making it two in the 32nd minute.

Ogol struck a third for the AWCON-bound side at the stroke of half-time, picking up from where they left as Achieng netted the fourth just three minutes after the restart.

With the game looking agonizingly a one-sided affair, Ouma made a triple substitution at the half hour mark, bringing on Neddy Atieno, Mary Kinuthia and Esse Akida for Nabwire, Achieng and Elizabeth Ambogo respectively.

Nafula completed her hat-trick nine minutes later as the Zanzibar ladies all retreated to their own half to protect nothing but extra shame. The ruthless Starlets would have none of it, cutting open their defenses as Ogol registered her brace two minutes later to make it 6-0.

The free-scoring Akida joined the goal-scoring party in the 72nd, with Aquino scoring the eighth ten minutes from full time.

Akida, who has publicly declared her intentions for the tournament’s golden boot, made a brilliant solo run before slotting in her fifth of the tournament before Aquino scored her third in the first minute of added time.

Akida and Aquino are now the joint top scorers in the tournament with five goals apiece ahead of the semis matches which have been scheduled for September, 18 and 20.

Starlets will face the runners-up from Group B in Sunday’s semifinals of the competition.