Harambee Starlets forward Mwanahalima Adam ‘Dogo’ has credited her impressive national team form to her loan spell in Denmark with HB Køge, describing the move as the turning point in her career revival.
The diminutive attacker, who joined Kansas City FC in the United States earlier this year, found game time hard to come by in the highly competitive American league.
In search of consistent minutes and a return to top form, she opted for a loan move to Europe, joining the Danish side HB Køge where she has since rediscovered her spark.
Dogo’s decision has paid off handsomely, with the forward playing regularly and finding the back of the net on several occasions.
Her improved club form has seamlessly translated to the international stage, where she played a pivotal role in Kenya’s 4-1 aggregate win over The Gambia in the final Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifiers.
In the first leg played in Nairobi, Dogo was at her brilliant best, scoring once and setting up another as Kenya cruised to a 3-1 win.
She then followed it up with a match-winning goal in the return leg in Dakar, Senegal on Tuesday night, sealing Kenya’s long-awaited return to WAFCON after nearly a decade.
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How move to Denmark helped Harambee Starlets foward
The former Thika Queens star revealed that the move to Denmark was necessary to keep her career on track.
“It has really helped me because what I really needed was playing time. As a footballer, you always want to be on the pitch playing, and I knew to sustain my tempo, I needed to play more,” she told Telecomasia.
The 28-year-old further noted how her spell at HB Køge has boosted her morale and sharpened her instincts in front of goal.
“I have done so at Køge and even scored goals, and that has really helped me to be in the form I am in at the moment. It has also restored my confidence and I am glad I am using it to help my national team,” she added.
Kenya’s qualification marks coach Beldine Odemba’s side’s second-ever appearance at the continental showpiece, set to be hosted in Morocco next year. For Dogo, the qualification carries even deeper meaning, a redemption story nearly nine years in the making.
Back in 2016, as a schoolgirl, Dogo was instrumental in helping Kenya qualify for their maiden WAFCON, only to miss the tournament in Cameroon as she sat for her KCSE exams.
Now, nearly a decade later, she has achieved what she missed out on, not just qualifying but doing so as one of the team’s key performers.