Last Saturday, soccer stars AC PAOK Thessaloniki lifted the 2021-2022 Greek Football Women “A” Division league crown for the eighth year in a row, and 17th time overall.
One of the inspirational figures behind the success of the Greek giants in the 18-team league in the just-ended season was Kenya’s Esse Mbeyu Akida.
The 29-year-old contributed 18 goals in her first season after joining the Thessaloniki-based side on a one-year contract on July 13, 2021.
PAOK completed the season unbeaten to qualify for 2022-2023 UEFA Women’s Champions League. The club ground out 16 victories in the nine-team group “A” during the regular season before bagging the title by dominating the championship round against Larissa, Chalkidas and Ergotelis.
The Pitchside has been following her throughout the season and managed to talk to the Kenyan international star regarding her football life.
Akida started playing football when she was only eight years old. She says nothing really inspired her then “because it was just part of the school co-curriculum activity which we were all part of.”
During the early stages of her football journey, the third born and only girl in a family of four children also used to go and watch his elder brothers play soccer on the pitch. She only got to play after they were done.
Then in 2002, Akida joined Moving The Goalposts (MTG), a sporting development organisation that empowers girls and young women in Kilifi. That marked a turning point as she was able to pursue her education and also hone her football skills.
MTG later on supported her to join the university because her parents were not able to. She also became one of the players for Kenya Methodist University (Kemu) football team upon joining the institution on a partial scholarship from the organisation (MTG).
She won the 2012 Kenyan Women Premier League with Matuu Memorial. Akida moved on to Spedag and then champions Thika Queens where Ramat HaSharon came knocking, signing her for the 2018-2019 season.
Akida scored four goals in 22 matches for the Israeli side before heading to Turkish side Besiktas in 2020, where she played just two matches when the season was disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak.
Akida returned briefly to Thika Queens before heading out to PAOK after landing a lucrative deal. She does not regret her choice of becoming a footballer.
“I’m 100 percent satisfied with how football life has treated me. I have had opportunities that others only dream of and I don’t take it for granted,” says Akida while noting that professional football needs a lot of dedication and constant work and she is enjoying every bit of it.
She could not hide her joy after her first season in Greece in which she bagged the leading goalscorer’s gong.
“It is a nice feeling knowing well there were players eying the Golden Boot, too. Achieving it in my first season after missing some games too gives me some sense of pride. I had set a target of 20+ goals but I’ll take the 18 because I still came top,” she told MyNetwork.
Coming from a community where girls were not allowed to play football in Kilifi County, Akida says football has brought to her a lot of benefits. “Let’s just say I can pay my bills and help here through it,” says Akida as she acknowledges that her football journey has not been without challenges.
“Football, just as any other business, has its challenges, the first being perception. I think many still don’t take women football seriously, although the notion is slowly changing,” the soccer star notes.
“Making it as a female footballer is harder because of such stereotypes. The other challenge came about when I first moved abroad. The change of environment and living away from family and friends. The adaptation wasn’t easy,” says Akida.
She singles out the Africa Women Cup of Nations (Awcon) 2016, with Harambee Starlets as one of the highlights of her career. Kenya was competing at the continental stage for the first time ever.
The championship took place in Cameroon. Akida scored Kenya’s first Awcon goal against Ghana in a match that Starlets lost 3-1.
The graduate in entrepreneurship from Kemu explains that her lowest moment is being sidelined for national team duty “for reasons known to the Football Kenya Federation”. Akida has not featured for Starlets since taking part at the Cecafa Women’s Championship in 2019, when Kenya dethroned the hosts Tanzania.
She says that she has never thought about anything else apart from football since she was young. “I’m living my dream. I eat and breathe football. But considering that football careers are short, I’m working on other projects which I’ll reveal when ready,” says Akida.
Regarding her success at PAOK, Akida feels she could have performed better if she was to play a specific role.
“First, I picked an injury that ruled me out for two weeks and then I had to play different roles when we were hit by injuries. But, for a first season in a different country, I’m happy with how things have gone. It has never been easy for anyone in their debut season considering the changes one has to make; from weather to food to just the culture,” she says.
Akida is glad that winning the title gave them another bite at the Champions League where she says every footballer wants to be. She hopes that her team PAOK makes it to the group stage.
PAOK participated in the competition at the beginning of the season, but were eliminated by Norwegian side Valerenga in the final of Round 1 of Tournament 7. She had a hat-trick when her team thrashed Moldovan side Agarista Anenii Noi 6-0 in the semi-finals before suffering a 2-0 loss against Valerenga.
“I want us to go a step further this time and make it to the group stage. I know it’s something possible,” says Akida, who is her own role model. “But I admire the longevity of Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo and how he handles himself; on and off the pitch”.
Her drive to excel comes from wanting to be the best. “I always want to get better each day and everywhere I go. Success motivates me,” says Akida.
In 2022, Kenyan striker Jentrix Shikangwa, goalkeeper Lilian Awuor and midfielder Christine Nafula joined Fatih Karagumruk in Turkey, Soyaux-Charente in France and Turkish side Kayserispor respectively.
Akida says she is always thrilled when young girls make moves abroad.
“It means we are doing good things as a country and with such moves, more doors are set to open. When we are out here, we not only represent ourselves but the country, too. We want to show that we have proper talents too that can compete,” she says.
Akida appreciates fans’ support saying they have been immense all through her journey. “They have supported me on and off the pitch and it’s something I don’t take for granted,” she says.
For those who want to pursue football, Akida advises that nothing comes easy.
“So many reach me via my social media handles and I try to help them even with training routines. Some are determined while most have different motives. My word to them is always to be consistent in whatever they do and never to give up,” she says.
