Striker Marion Serenge will be among the star attractions as Kenya makes history, playing at a FIFA World Cup for the first time ever. Serenge is part of the Junior Starlets team that will take part in the Under-17 FIFA World Cup in the Dominican Republic.
What is unique about Serenge is that she is not only one of the star players who helped Kenya qualify for the global showpiece, but she also comes from a family of football heritage.
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Her father, Fred Serenge, is a revered Kenyan coach, who is a former Harambee Stars senior player and also featured for several top-flight clubs during his playing career. His brother, Kevin Amwayi, is also a former Kenyan international and has featured for top clubs in Kenya like Ulinzi Stars and is currently in the sunset years of his career playing at Kakamega Homeboyz.
A host of other members of the Serenge family have also played football at the top stage, and thus, the youngest active athlete and holder of the surname wants to emulate them and earn success in her career.
The 16-year-old, who is in her penultimate year of high school, dreams of becoming the biggest name to come out of the household and wants to emulate her father, and even surpass what he achieved.
She speaks exclusively to marvelbetgames.com on the inspiration she receives from her dad, her ambitions as a player, and the dream of playing at a FIFA World Cup.
– How much has your family, more so your dad, inspired you in your football journey?
– My dad has been my biggest inspiration in my football journey. He has supported me in every way, together with my mum. I have seen him travel to many countries in the world and achieve greatly. This year, he was the head coach of the Kenyan team at the International Schools Championship in China, and he came back home with a trophy. That really motivated me and gave me the challenge that I need to achieve more than he has achieved. It motivated me to keep working hard.
Generally, my whole family has been my support system, from my parents to my siblings. Everyone gives me words of advice to be better.
– How much of a role have they played in your journey towards the World Cup?
– They were really integral to me. They watched both my games in Nairobi, and my dad would tell me where I have gone wrong and congratulate me on the things I have done right. When we qualified, scoring that goal in front of them was really special, and I am glad for their support. It was my reward to them.
– You are part of a team that makes history, becoming the first-ever Kenyan side to play at a World Cup. How does it feel?
To be honest, it's surreal. Being part of a squad that makes history does not come easily. I had always dreamt of playing at a World Cup, but it never occurred to me that it would come this early. It is an amazing and special feeling, and that is what drives us to go and get good results.
– Looking back at the journey over the three games, how difficult was it?
– It wasn’t an easy journey. I remember in the penultimate round against Ethiopia, we played to a draw in the first leg away from home, and we had a lot of pressure coming to the return leg in Nairobi. It was a must-win game for us, and any kind of draw wouldn’t have been good. But we remained focused because we knew what we wanted to achieve as a team. We had a dream to make history, and we said we would give our best and leave everything on the pitch to get what we yearned for.
– At the start, as a team, did you ever believe that you could qualify?
– Yes, we believed from the start. We looked at the draw, and we knew if we did our best, it was a possible mission. The spirit within the team was high, and we had that motivation from deep within ourselves to experience the feeling of playing at a World Cup. We knew if we worked hard and played according to the instructions from our coaches, it was possible.
– Now the World Cup is here, the dream is now a reality. Are you ready?
– We have worked very hard to be where we are now, and we know where we are heading is even tougher. We are ready; we have trained and prepared well. We don’t want to put pressure on ourselves. We just want to go there and work extra hard to get a good result. We are confident that we will portray the best image of Kenyan and African football to the rest of the world.
– A very tough group awaits against teams that have qualified before. How is the confidence of making it to the knockout rounds?
– We are going in as debutants, but we believe in ourselves. We know that we are equal to the task. They might have more experience than us, but the beauty of football is that it's about the 90 minutes on the pitch. Yes, there is pressure when playing against experienced teams at the World Cup, but we are not afraid or scared of the challenge ahead. Deep down, we know that if we work hard and give our best, we will show that we are also a good team.
– How much of an opportunity is this for you and the team?
– This is a massive opportunity for us. Playing at the World Cup is prestigious, and it can open big doors for our careers. The games will be widely watched, and there will be scouts all over. It is a chance for us as players to take the next steps in our careers. We are at an age where it is easy to be scouted to play professional football, and we want to take this chance.
– Finally, your word to Kenyan fans as you prepare for the World Cup.
I just want to tell them that they should keep believing in us, and we thank them for their support. They have been there for us throughout the journey, and we don’t take it for granted. We are now at the big stage, and we promise we will not let them down. We are here to compete, not participate.
