Video summary
The Touchline show hosts an insightful interview with three key players from ZX Parks Ladies, reflecting on their journey after finishing seventh in the previous season and outlining their ambitious plans for 2026/27. The team aims to significantly improve upon last year's performance of nineteen points by addressing specific weaknesses, particularly in scoring goals which was identified as a major issue despite having competent defenders and midfielders. Players like Velma, Ruth, and Joy Marvelous discuss the challenges they faced individually, such as injuries for Ruth and lack of confidence or goal-scoring opportunities for others, while emphasizing that moving forward requires forgetting past failures and trusting each other more within the squad to achieve their collective targets.
Individual aspirations are a central theme of the conversation, with all three players expressing strong desires to play professional football abroad in countries like the United States over the next two to three years. Joy Marvelous specifically mentions her goal to score ten goals this season after scoring none last year, while Ruth hopes to secure four clean sheets if given playing time and aims to improve her attacking skills for future national team opportunities with Arambe Stars or Junior Stars. The players also highlight their unique club culture where the coaching staff acts like a supportive family member who understands personal difficulties, creating an environment where open communication helps resolve issues before they escalate into bigger problems affecting performance on the pitch.
Looking ahead to upcoming competitions including potential matches in Morocco for youth categories, the group acknowledges stiff competition from teams like Kenya Police Bullets and Kibera Soccer Women but believes that confidence and mental strength are their greatest weapons against these rivals. They stress that while physical training is important, building a positive mindset and listening closely to coaches are essential strategies for overcoming fears of big games or high-pressure situations encountered during qualifiers and international tournaments. Ultimately, the team's primary objective remains clear: finishing in the top two positions this season to qualify for cup competitions next year, proving that they can close out matches effectively rather than just creating chances without finalizing them.
Read the full video transcript
Yes and welcome back to the touchline
show right on Y254 and as promised we
are delighted to host the ZX parks
ladies they are here to speak about
their aspirations as far as the next
season is concerned and what are the
things they are working on currently and
the improvements from last season where
they finished seventh with 19 points. So
moving forward what are their targets?
Of course, on my far right there is
Velma, Kaaveza, who also plays in
midfield. Velma is very close.
Thank you.
And then in the middle I'm with Ruth, the
goalkeeper.
How is it?
And then I have Joy Marvelous who
is also a striker here. How are things going,
Joy? I'm just
fine.
Hey.
Yeah. How many goals did you score last season? Shall we
start there?
Last season I didn't score any
goals,
but I had an assist.
Okay. Is that what you're currently working on to
ensure that next season,
which is starting, you'll be like a Dutchman,
scoring goals here and there?
Yes. Yes.
Yeah. I am very happy again
. So Ruth on your side, how are
things going? Like
what are you crying about at this hour?
Oh, I'm so sorry,
I didn't get that chance to play this season. Hmm.
Now at this point I'm burning up and I want to improve, I want to
play at least a
few games, that's
what I'm
really crying about again, Velma, your career
has been amazing, you played for Kenya
under 18 that is in 2023, you also came and
played in the under 20 qualifier world
cup, how has it been on your side?
Oh, it's not easy and let's also say it's not hard
in the middle, in the beginning, the
ball is the same as
we play, it's just where it is, what
we see, that's what it is, though what is the
training there,
and how did that confidence
feel playing for the under 18s and
then of course under 20s? It's
a very good thing and I think it
motivates me even now. I'm planning
on doing anything possible as long as
you're there, I'll be in any game,
any game that comes or
any chance I get to see, I'll go
back to where I was. Yeah,
I'm really doing it a lot of it. So that's it again
. Joy on your side I'm
looking at your starts. You played under
17 Arambe Starlits I mean junior
Starlits you w part of the team that
qualified for 2024 FIFA World Cup. How did it happen to
you?
Well, I have to say it's sweet and you enjoy it, although it's not
easy. Ed.
As long as you have discipline, put
God first, and just listen to what the coach
says.
Yeah.
Oh, it was just right.
Yes. You played for Nyakach Girls and then you came and
played for Butere GS, that's when Zeka came and
saw you. How did it go when ZX Parks came to pick
you up from K Play to play for them?
Ah, at first I didn't want to come here,
but the
coach talked me into it and I felt like it was the right thing to do
.
Hmm.
Hey,
why do you want to come here?
I don't know [laughter] I
don't know.
Okay. You were maybe away from home, what about
things like that?
Alr. Very good things again. Ruth I want
to understand your journey. How was it like,
where were you playing before joining
Ztech Sparks?
Okay. Before I entered Ztech, I was in
high school, studying at Mdavard Girls High
School, and I had always wanted to come to
Ztech.
That was it, that
was your aim.
My goal. Now I said, I
have to come here, so I came to trials
after trials and qualified to fill up.
Yeah.
Yes. Absolutely again
. How was Velma last season Ztex
Parks performance?
Then you can add a little punch when the
midfielder, when you're hitting the
defender behind, give me the ball
you're talking about [laughter] I just
want you to add a punch case
okay and this season I can say it hasn't been very
good.
I don't think that's a position we
want to be in at all. Yeah.
Things have not been the way we wanted
them to be. But either way it's over
this time we are planning on another
season we're going there we're
willing we
can't finish the number we finished last
season
and we won't be able to so
we'll improve
I believe that
eh joy what didn't work for zex parks
last season what did it do when
you finished number seven maybe injuries
or what
ah just believe in yourself
mhm
eh we didn't trust each other Yeah.
Oh, that's something. Okay
.
Yeah.
So what are you being told by the coach at this time in training
? I mean the new season is
coming. What are the things you're
working on currently?
Oh, the first thing is to forget about the things that
have already happened so we can move on.
Then they give us all of them
. Yeah.
That we can get ahead.
Ed.
Oh. Absolutely again
. Are you a striker?
Yeah.
How many goals are you targeting this coming season?
Oh, 10.
10
oh,
10 goals. And of course, in
your position, who motivates you as a
player? Who are you looking at and saying, "Hey,
you want to be like him?"
Oh man, play the
right Hand.
Holland. Eh, so we have our Kenyan
Holland there, I hope it will be cool. So on
your side Ruth
a new goalkeeper coming in. We were
talking here before we started doing the
interview, you told me that you played
one game last season and it was a clean
sheet. So the new coming season maybe
you will be given gaming time or you will be given game
time by the coach and the management.
What are your individual targets now?
Okay, my targets if I'm given a game are to at least
leave with a clean sheet. I said I'd get four,
I'll make sure I came out with that
four clean sheets, yeah yeah,
but I'm just going to have faith, I'll get
even more, you'll win that one, really, really well, on
your side,
okay,
then I want you to speak in your voice,
okay, this season,
I'm planning on improving my
attacking skills,
I think, uh, I wasn't last
season, I wasn't
injured, I wasn't in the first
leg, I came in the second leg, I was a
little nervous, but things have been fine.
I'm very okay this season, I'm planning
on these stackers, they should score, and
I'll do it for those technicians, you
said you were injured,
how did you bounce back from that injury,
you came to play, and then how was it, that
whole period when you were injured, what
kept you going?
Let me start by saying that injury is not a thing, I'm really
frustrated as a player, but
I was just really encouraged, you know,
seeing people playing, you're out there, you
hear, it's not cool, what is rehab, what is
strengthening the leg,
okay, I used to see people playing
against me, I'm out there my leg does
n't accept me
first I had strength
I tried anything possible to play I put on a
nickup I started medication and
but going to rehab the doctor there when
you explained it to me like this it was
good it came and it healed it did
n't heal completely
I went back for half a season that
last season
I tried
I think I'm fine
alright and you said this season they must
recognize you
this season and they will recognize me
completely again [laughter]
he says this season they must recognize him
eh
zite parks must they be recognized
eh they will be recognized Mhm. And you guys
behind the scenes coach have I mean what
are the things you are planning to improve
which maybe they did last season
you got 19 points and then you finished
number seven in the table.
Oh why? Like to score.
Hmm.
Scoring is our only problem.
Those other parts are fine.
Hmm.
So now we have a lot to attack. Yeah.
Oh, they're saying that
attacking is what
you're talking about, you want to ensure that
attacking is fit and then now
things are going perfectly. Velma,
help me understand where ZX parks are currently
training and the
connection between players and
university students. How do you manage to balance the
two,
balancing education and football? Yeah.
Okay. I can say that if you keep it in your
mind, it will bother you, but if
you try to balance it, it is very easy.
You know, after you get out of bed, your mind is refreshed, your
body feels fresh,
you take a shower, you go to the bathroom,
everything is fine.
Yeah.
Yeah. And I think eh it
's just trying hard. Nothing comes
easy.
Okay Ruth, the
league is competitive, the level
of competition has become very high. We are
with the likes of Kibera Soccer Women.
We have Kenya Police Bullets. We have
the likes of eh so I mean what teams are they,
maybe if you look at them you'd say that these
are the teams to watch for the coming
season.
Okay. It's a team like the
police, the
security,
then again, the madhare also went up. Yeah.
Oh,
so
Joy is talking about those teams he mentioned
there. I mean what are you doing as a
club to ensure that the gap that exists
between you guys and the likes of the police
becomes, you know, so small that
even if you agree with Grau, you can get past
them.
Oh, I think it's just too confidence.
Hmm.
To be just our confidence. Yeah.
And just trust yourself and then just follow what the
coach says. Yeah.
Then everything will be
completely fine again. Velma what's the most
unique thing about zx?
The way
that
Mh is
playing, I don't think there is a team that plays
like Zch. Yeah. In terms of playing
style, management, I think we are
very unique from the other clubs.
Hmm.
Ruth eh maybe one of these days you will come to
play eh either side of the junior
starets rising starets or arambe
stlets. I mean as an individual is that what
you're targeting to play in the national
team?
Yeah, that's my goal. Hmm.
So what are you doing differently to
ensure that something like this arrives?
Okay. What I'm doing different is that
last season I said I didn't have that
confidence.
Yeah. I didn't have that
confidence. Now I'm
trying to work on my confidence. Try
to build.
Yeah. Absolutely again
.
alafu on your side joy eh
coach management and players ZX parks are
you guys like a family I mean if you have an
issue who do you talk to
ah yeah our coach
our coaches are very free with us m
in case of any problem they are always there
yesma
tell me about the your coach coach
m a very fantastic coach very loving coach
a very understanding coach I can say
everything but those are not good enough for me it's a
very cool coach which the coach if
you go to him even if you have any difficulty
you explain the coach is like this and this
he tries for that side you are there and
he tells you this will happen you don't know it's
coach dem
and he's like me so
stealing becomes easy he understands me
[clears throat] he understands him
so he understands us very well
again very well eh key performances of
last season what game did you play it was
very nice and you know you guys it was
like the highlight of the season
game our game with the police
mhm
eh second leg
and I entered the second leg at that time that's when
I can talk
okay what about it like how it was
ah the game was hard
but we also enjoyed it
though they closed us down at the end
yes Ah really really really
. What about you, Ruth?
That one game you played, would you say
that that was the best for you?
Oh, it was the best. You also know that if you're
off the bench, you're also playing a player, you're playing an
involved player. Yeah.
It was against
us, we were playing against Gideons.
Ed.
Gideon Starls. Yes. Okay
. What about you, Velma?
What game stood out for you
last season?
I think Kibra. Hmm.
Kibra second leg at Mangu.
Ed.
Oh, I was saying I had an
injury but I sang and they
recognized me.
[laughter]
Okay. You're like the one
cracking jokes for the rest of the team.
I have seen and experienced this team. Oh, things
are getting really cool. So moving forward,
you had 19 points last season and
finished number seven. Hey, where is this
upcoming season going to end as a team target
?
The target is to finish in the top two.
Top two,
yes, top two. If
we rest there, then
next season, let's see us fighting for this
cup. Okay
. Absolutely again
. Finally I want to
understand individual targets in the
coming two to three years. Do you want to see
where I start with you Joy do wanna see
yourself in the coming two to three
years maybe do you wanna play soccer
abroad?
Yeah. Yeah.
I want to play abroad.
Yes.
Actually they are planning.
Hmm.
Yeah. I will be going outside Kenya next
year.
Hmm. Yeah. So I just think US in the
United States.
Okay. Another day I'll find you so we can
talk about that story properly. It's like we
still don't want to go in
front of the train, we'll just go. What about you?
Yes. I want to play abroad. Yeah.
Yes.
Okay. Absolutely again. [laughter]
What about you Velma individually
targets of course you told me you want to be
recognized there in midfield but coming
maybe two to three years where do you
want to see yourself and do you also
have a dream of playing abroad or do you just
want to transition here between h
clubs in WP who doesn't want to go forward
who [clears throat]
who does not want to go outside Kenya
I want to explore by the I want to play
professional football
and I really I'm looking forward to it
days are coming even if you just give me two years two minutes
or even one and a half
mhm
things will come out
and finally arambe stets part of the
team that played in the wafcon that is
still ongoing in morocco. Starting with
you Joy what do you think will happen if we do
n't get performances po what
was wrong with the arambe stlets m
there are some players like me who were
afraid of those games
mh
eh sa give 100% you know if you're afraid of a
game giving 100% will be a problem
mhm eh Ruth we saw goalkeepers who
were playing they were making some
mistakes I mean before cheeze big game
like maybe against Algeria
mentally what is the one thing you need to do to make
that you up to standards something
you need to do first you build
your mind you need to be mentally strong then you need to be
positive
you need to be afraid
m
eh vma we played three games against
morocco s and algeria we got beaten all of them i
mean we haven't won any game against kwafon
ever since we made our debut in 2016
moving forward what do you wanna see is
what you want to see with Odemba doing with
that squad.
I want Building Odemba to help,
just try for the final third.
Yeah.
Kenya, we are a good team. We arrive and
we go to their post,
actually scoring is our problem,
you get
our strikers, we arrive to the post
but they get the chances but we
don't finalize those chances
so moving forward I want maybe I work
on that, we build up well, the ball
comes out, we arrive but now we
don't score, striking
really again, I will be part of the
team that we will be going to Morocco for the
F Under 17 Championship
M for I'm I'm 19 years old.
19 Oh yeah under 17 so you transitioning
to the under 20 kabis tena
sana but you played for the
under 17 maybe a word of encouragement
for them for those who are watching you
for the team maybe what can you tell
them before they participate in Morocco?
Okay the under 17s uh what I can say is
just build the confidence.
Hmm.
Oh, listen to what the coach says and pray to
God first.
Yeah, that's all it
will take to get home, right? It will
definitely come again. So thank you guys, Manzee,
for coming and we wish you all the best.
First of all, you said that next season
they will recognize you, I will come to Grao to see how things
will go. [laughter] You guess the game. Okay, okay
. So coming up after this short
break will be the final segment of the
touchline. Of course the fan zone will be
with Barisilla and Colins Kemboy here to
discuss European football matters.
Arsenal is set to face Manchester City
tomorrow for the community shield. How
will things turn out? We are here to unpack that. Let's not go
far. This is the touch line
right on Y254.