Talanta Hela girls make light work of Zaragoza in Spain

Talanta Hela U-19 football girls' team ended their Easter holiday on a high after seeing off Real Zaragoza of Spain 3-0 in a friendly match played at the Nastic Training Ground on Sunday evening.

The girls who finished the Costa Daurada Cup in the second position in final held on Thursday needed the friendly match to boost their moral.

Elizabeth Mideva was the star of the match as she scored a brace,while a goal from Hilda Natecho to complete the scores.

Coach Jackline Juma speaking after the match hailed her charges for "a great performance" as she emphasised on the importance of high-intensity matches for the development of the players.

"Friendly matches help us to know where to strengthen our skills and when to maximize our strengths. At least this match gave me an overview of the team and know what areas to work on," she noted.

Zaragoza assistant coach Pablo Bovez noted the high level of talents in Kenya and  pointed out that given the right structures, the team could compete in the highest level possible.

"Kenya has a very good team with very quality players. They are very fast and they have good strikers like Lorna Faith and Elizabeth Mideva. I like their input. The team can compete at a very high level," said Bovez.

At the same time, the Kenya Academy of Sports' Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Doreen Odhiambo lauded Talanta Hela teams' performance in the 15th edition of the Costa Daurada Cup.

The boys team clinched the title after seeing off Usurbil FT 3-0 in the finals while the girls' finished in the second position after going  2-0 down in the hands of Sporting de Portugal in a final match that was decided on post-match penalties following  a 1-1 draw in regular time.

The CEO noted that the academy was keen to expose the youngsters to more high-intensity matches and elite training camps to build a strong team, even as the country gears up for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

"This is just the first one. We will have more tournaments to gauge the readiness of the team. We will continue to scout more players. We also urge the players to train more to maintain their positions. We want to have a strong team ahead of African Championships." 

The boys team was set to play their last friendly match on Monday, April 1 against Eldense.