“Training Girls is Not Easy”- Gender dynamic and coaching paradox in women’s football

NAIROBI, Kenya, October 3, 2026 – When Trinity Starlets FC head coach Silvonus Wesonga walked into the post-match press briefing following a 1–0 defeat to Kayole Starlets at the Police Sacco Grounds, he did not hold back. Disappointed by defensive lapses from set pieces, Wesonga pointed directly to the unique challenges of managing female squads, remarking that players often make coaches look like they are not doing their job well. He further noted that despite training endlessly on set pieces, players still revert to doing their own thing once the match kicks off. “Sometimes players make c...

Disappointed by defensive lapses from set pieces, Wesonga pointed directly to the unique challenges of managing female squads, remarking that players often make coaches look like they are not doing their job well.

He further noted that despite training endlessly on set pieces, players still revert to doing their own thing once the match kicks off.

“Sometimes players make coaches look like they are not doing their job well. Training girls is not an easy task. We have trained those set pieces, but when it comes to the game, they do their own things,” he said.

While spoken in the heat of a frustrating loss, Wesonga’s comments strike at the heart of an ongoing debate in domestic and global sport: What role does gender play in coaching dynamics, and is women’s football facing a structural representation problem?

Source: Capital FM Sports