The tireless efforts of grassroots tacticians like Joseph Orao, coach of Dagoretti Mixed Secondary School, in unearthing and nurturing raw talent go a long way in planting the seeds of success for women’s football in Kenya.
Born in Dagoretti, Nairobi County, Orao was transferred from Pumwani High School to a high school in Mombasa so that he could concentrate on his education. Upon completing high school, he opted to live with a relative in Mathare so that he could participate in the legendary Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) programme.
After a stellar footballing career, whose highlights include playing for the Mathare United team that won the Moi Golden Cup in 1998 and the Premier League title in 2008, Orao started coaching girls’ football 16 years ago. His long-term mission? To see talented but disadvantaged female footballers excel on the pitch and also get a chance at an education.
One such girl is Patience Kasichana from Dagoretti Mixed Secondary School, who was named the Most Valuable Player at the Nairobi regional finals of Safaricom Chapa Dimba.
“I started playing football as a young girl with a dream and passion. I was lucky to be spotted by Coach Orao during a game in my village. He saw my talent and got me into Dagoretti Mixed on a football scholarship. Football has taken me through secondary school. If it was not for football I would not have gotten to where I have,” said Patience.
Many of the country’s top female footballers have passed through Coach Orao’s hands as he boasts of having taken a team to the national school games finals every year since 2011.
Famous for his disciplinarian ways, the veteran coach goes to great lengths to unearth footballing gems: “I scout for talented players in the grassroots across the country. I have built relationships with local coaches. I sometimes barter with them, even giving them footballs so that they can tell me when they spot talent in the estates and in upcountry.”
His current side, Dagoretti Mixed Secondary School, has been the Nairobi school games girls’ champions since they toppled giant Olympic Girls High School in 2019. Before joining Dagoretti Mixed, Orao enjoyed perennial school games success with Kibera’s Olympic.
His magic touch has seen Dagoretti Mixed not only establish itself as a powerhouse in school games but also emerge as Nairobi West Region champions to earn promotion to the FKF-WPL Division One league.
Dagoretti Mixed was crowned the Safaricom Chapa Dimba Nairobi region girls’ champions. In the semifinals, Coach Orao’s charges eliminated two-time Chapa Dimba Nairobi region champions Beijing Raiders 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regular time. In the regional final, Dagoretti Mixed turned on the class, hammering Masericordiae Queens 7-1 to bag a ticket to the national finals.
“My expectation at the Safaricom Chapa Dimba national finals is to be crowned champions. Often, Nairobi teams are just participants, but I have been putting in the work to change the narrative, and I expect nothing less than winning the national title,” declares Coach Orao.
After emerging as the top scorer girl in the Nairobi regional finals, Peninnah Wairimu, who dreams of playing for Harambee Starlets, the national football team as well as professionally for Arsenal Women, credited her coach for her scoring exploits.
“I thank Coach Orao, as he has really sharpened and polished my skills from Form One. He really took time to teach me the technical aspects of being a striker, how to position myself, and how to attack, and I can now see the results,” said Peninah.
From being scouted in her village to getting a four-year high school football scholarship, Patience got a call-up to the team that was to represent the country at the postponed 2023 CECAFA Under-18 Women’s championship.
She sees Safaricom Chapa Dimba as an opportunity to be scouted by FKF-WPL sides and eventually secure a slot in Harambee Starlets. This would be following in the footsteps of the likes of Judith Osimbo, Jentrix Shikangwa, and Mercy Airo, among many others.
For her Dagorreti Mixed teammate Kikky Masika, the dream is already a reality.
“Football has enabled me to play for the national team 3 times. I have travelled abroad; I went to Angola with the national Under-20 team. I have earned money from football. I can tell a young girl who wishes to play football that football pays and that it is possible to make a living and a career out of football. I wish to thank the organisers of Safaricom Chapa Dimba for giving us a platform as girls so that our talents are identified and nurtured,” said Mercy.
Coach Orao believes that in the last five years, women’s football in Kenya has really grown, and the standards have risen. His only challenge is to premier league and national teams’ coaches, “Go to the grassroots and scout for players, attend tournaments like Chapa Dimba. There is great talent across the country ready to be unearthed.”
