Harambee Starlets coach accuses Tanzanian side of repeated failure to release players for international duty
Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 01.06.26. | 20:21
She urged FKF to help sorting the impasse, fearing some squad members will miss the June camp
Harambee Starlets head coach Beldine Odemba has called for the intervention of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) in handling Tanzanian giants Simba Queens, whom she has accused of selective release of players.
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Odemba accused the Tanzanian outfit of perennially frustrating the national team's efforts to have their players cross over to represent the country.
As it stands, Simba has the highest contingent of Harambee Starlets players abroad, in a star-studded list that includes: Jentrix Shikagwa, Corazone Aquino, Fasila Adhiambo, Ruth Ingosi, Elizabeth Wambui, as well as Cynthia Shilwatso.
Speaking at the sidelines of the team's training session on Monday, 1 June, Odemba expressed her frustrations with Simba saying: “We call players and especially from Simba, but they decide who to release, and who not to release."
"Most of the time, we call their players, then we get letters from them indicating that they will not be able to release one or two players. Sometimes, they follow it up with a medical report suggesting they are injured, only to see the player featuring for them in the league a few days later," she added.
The former Kenya Police Bullets tactician went ahead to suggest a pathway involving the Federations of Kenya and Tanzania, in solving the impasse.
“Communication has not been easy between us and them, but we hope it is something FKF can pick up and write to the Tanzanian FA to talk to their club and see how best we can work. At the moment, some of them will not be available,” she remarked.
Having called up Wambui, Adhiambo, Shikagwa and Ingosi, it is not yet clear which players the Tanzanian side has refused to release this time round, as their players were expected to report to the Kenyan camp from Monday evening, following the conclusion of the Tanzanian league, where Simba were crowned as champions.
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