National women's football team Harambee Starlets are the winners of the 2019 Cecafa Championship.
Starlets dethroned holders Tanzania's Kilimanjaro Queens 2-0 in Monday's final at the Chamazi Stadium, Dar es Saalam to lift their first ever regional title.
Once again, impressive Vihiga Queens forward Jentrix Shikangwa who stole the show, coming off the bench to score a second half brace to take her tournament's tally to nine goals.
It was a sweet revenge for Starlets who lost 2-1 to Tanzania in the 2016 final in Gulu, Uganda and a fitting moment of redemption for the players after being eliminated by Zambia in the fourth round of the 2020 Olympic qualifiers.
The teenage sensation broke the deadlock from the spot in the 71st minute before doubling the lead with a wonderful strike in the 87th minute.
The victory saw Kenya claim the regional title with an unbeaten record and without conceding a single goal throughout the competition.
Starlets had finished top of Group B with nine points after wins over Ethiopia (2-0), Djibouti (12-0) and Uganda (3-0) before thrashing Burundi 5-0 in the semifinals.
Starlets are expected to arrive back in the country on Tuesday morning at 10am.
Uganda beat Burundi 2-0 in the third place play-offs tie to win the bronze medal.
Meanwhile, Harambee Stars will renew their new-found rivalry with Tanzania's Taifa Stars as they seek to defend their Cecafa Senior Challenge title next month in Uganda.
The two sides have been drawn together with Zanzibar and Djibouti in Group C of the regional tournament that will be making a return to Uganda on December 7-19 after a seven-year hiatus.
The oldest tournament in the continent will run concurrently with the Fifa-funded U17 Women Championship slated for December 9-18 in Uganda.
Stars beat Zanzibar Heroes 3-2 on post-match penalties to lift the last edition of the tournament held in 2017 in Machakos after a 2-2 draw in extra time.
This will be the fourth meeting between Kenya and Tanzania this year with an even record in the last three encounters.
Harambee Stars outclassed Taifa Stars 3-2 in their Group C match dubbed East African derby at the 2019 Africa Nations Cup finals on June 27, in Cairo, Egypt.
The two sides then clashed a month later in a two-legged 2020 African Nations Championship (Chan) qualifiers. With both legs ending in a barren draw, it is the Tanzanians, who had the final laugh as they edged out Stars 4-1 on penalties in the return leg in front of their home fans at the Kasarani Stadium.
The shocking result saw the Football Kenya Federation part ways with Frenchman Sebastian Migne and immediately re-appointed Francis Kimanzi as Stars head coach.
Democratic Republic of Congo will feature as guests, have been drawn in Group B together with Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia.
While hosts Uganda headline Group A alongside Burundi, Ethiopia and Eritrea.
“The best two teams from each group and the best two losses will make it to the quarter finals,”Cecafa Secretary General Nicholas Musonye said after conducting the draws on Sunday in Dar es Salaam.
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