Harambee Starlets teenager seals dream move to Spanish top-flight side
.jpg)
Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 11.07.26. | 15:49
In 2023, while still a student at Madira Girls High School, she spoke of her dream of playing professional football abroad after balancing her education with football
Harambee Starlets forward Valerie Nekesa has completed a landmark move to Spanish club CD Tenerife Femenino, becoming the latest Kenyan women's footballer to earn a transfer to Europe.
Download our Mozzart Sport app for more news
The 18-year-old striker joins the Tenerife-based outfit from Madira Soccer Assassins after the Kenyan club confirmed the transfer on Saturday.
The team described it as a major milestone in the player's career and a testament to years of development at the grassroots level.
Madira Soccer Assassins said the transfer reflects Nekesa's patience, resilience and dedication, while thanking a host of partners who contributed to her rise, including KCB Bank, Sabatia Eye Hospital, the County Government of Vihiga, talent agency New Hera Interconnection and several football stakeholders who supported her journey from Kenya to Europe.
According to the club, Nekesa was first identified while playing for Murang'a Queens before joining Madira Soccer Assassins, where she developed into one of the country's brightest young forwards.
.jpg)
The club also acknowledged the role played by coaches, teammates, schools, fans and the national team technical benches in helping shape her career.
The move represents another significant breakthrough for Kenyan women's football, with Nekesa becoming one of the latest graduates of the country's youth development system to secure an opportunity in one of Europe's strongest football nations.
CD Tenerife Femenino believes the Kenya international possesses the qualities needed to succeed in Spain, with her pace, movement and goal-scoring instincts expected to strengthen the club's attacking options.
Nekesa's rise has been one of the most remarkable stories in Kenyan football over the past three years.
She first caught national attention while starring for Kenya's Junior Starlets before progressing through the national youth ranks.
Her performances quickly established her as one of the country's brightest prospects, earning praise for her speed, composure and eye for goal.
In 2023, while still a student at Madira Girls High School, she spoke of her dream of playing professional football abroad after balancing her education with football.
Her breakthrough came on the international stage in 2024 when she scored Kenya's first-ever goal at a FIFA World Cup during the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup in the Dominican Republic.
Her performances at the tournament elevated her profile further and earned her recognition among Africa's brightest young talents before she made the step up to the senior Harambee Starlets squad.
The move to Spain marks another important milestone in her rapidly developing career and offers her an opportunity to compete in one of Europe's most competitive women's football environments.