The name Beldine Odemba is already a hit among football fans.
Not only is she the driving force behind the powerful Harambee Starlets, but she also manages to successfully balance an astounding four coaching duties at once. Odemba coaches Harambee Starlets and Rising Starlets, and in the same vein, she guides Kenya Women Premier League (KWPL) side Kenya Police Bullets and Highway Secondary School team.
What is even more inspiring about her story is that she is rewriting the playbook for gender stereotypes in football and demonstrating that she is a master at multitasking just as she is at strategically coaching the beautiful game.
Speaking to the press after Rising Starlets defeated Angola 6-1 in the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup first-leg qualifier played at the Nyayo Stadium on Sunday, the gaffer noted that she is defying the notion that multitasking is a challenge.
“All these teams have different playing times. For example, as we speak, Kenya Police is done with pre-season training, and we have been excused from this weekend’s fixtures since seven of our (Rising Starlets) players play for the Soccer Assassins, our league opener competitors. I have an able assistant coach, so when I go back to the camp, I find them ready,” she started.
“Also, the FIFA calendar is seasonal, so after these U-20 matches, things will be calm and we will return to normal. I will therefore have adequate time for the Premier League. I attend school every day in the evening, but it is very manageable,” she added, smiling.
Odemba helped the Starlets defeat Cameroon and advance to the second and final round of the 2024 Women African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifications by defeating them 4-3 in a post-match shootout of the rematch played at Nyayo National Stadium on September 26.
The Starlets were coming off a 1-0 loss to the West African powerhouses in the first leg, which was played in Douala. On Sunday, October 8, her versatile coaching skills were evident when the Rising Starlets heaped a 6-1 misery on struggling Angola.
In the event the Rising Starlets qualify for the World Cup and the senior team Harambee Starlets book a spot in the next WAFCON edition, the tactician will go down in the annals of history as the first Kenyan woman to lead two national sides to success at the same time.
The gaffer, who stands as a beacon of inspiration to younger girls, advised them to believe in their dreams, trust their abilities, and aim for the stars because there was no limit to what they could achieve.
“I can tell them to trust themselves. There are very many football classes today. They should join these classes, push themselves, and never let anyone put them down. Always raise your head in the middle of challenges. We can do it. We are the queens of multitasking. There is nothing difficult. We can do it,” she concluded.
The aggregate winner of the two-legged U20 matches will face the winner between Cameroon and Botswana in the next round later this year. The winner will qualify for the 2024 U20 World Cup, which will be played in Colombia from September 5–22 next year.
