Ulinzi Starlet beat 2021 FKF Women’s Premier League champions Thika Queens 9-8 in post-match penalties to lift the maiden FKF Women’s Super Cup staged at Utalii grounds.
The game had ended 1-1 in regular time to force a penalty shootout for a winner to be crowned. Rebecca gave Thika Queens a lead in the 67th minute only for Ulinzi to fight back and equalize through their captain Neddy Atieno.
The match served as a curtain raiser to the new season set to start on November 12th and pits the FKF Women’s Premier League champions (Thika Queens) against the FKF Cup winners (Ulinzi Starlet). Controversy ensued when Ulinzi’s Odiro Margaret missed her spotkick in sudden death. The referee then blew her whistle to declare Thika the Champions. But as the Queens’ ran to engulf their keeper in jubilation, the referee reversed her decision to their dismay.
The scores were still level at 8-8 but Ulinzi had taken one more penalty than their counterparts. So, Thika had to score a penalty to be confirmed as champions. Diana Simiyu stepped up and sent her kick over the bar. The next sequence pitting the goalkeepers was the one that decided the tie.
Rebecca Okwaro of Thika Queens won the Woman of the match. She was on top of her game and even got on the scoresheet in the second half though her side lost the game. Okwaro expertly dispatched her penalty in sudden death to send the crowd at Utalii into a frenzy.
Both sides were up for the match as chance after chance went begging five minutes into the game. But it was the Queens who took the lead in the second half. Rebecca Okwaro nodded in Wincate Kaari’s header in the 67th minute. Ulinzi rallied up and equalised nine minutes later.
Captain Neddy Atieno played a low cross into the box that Lucy Nato easily tapped in. After none of the sides was able to find a winner in 90 minutes, it was upto penalties to decide the tie. Both teams were clinical from the spot only missing two out of the 10 penalties taken.
The 11th penalty kicks for both in sudden death pitted the goalkeepers against each other. Ulinzi Starlet goalkeeper Moureen Shimuli converted and then saved that of her opposite number Mishi Mbaru to secure the Super Cup for Ulinzi Starlets.
With the outstanding performance, Ulinzi Starlets have now won the FKF Women Super cup and FKF Women cup.