
Valerie Nekesa is a standout young Kenyan footballer who achieved remarkable success in 2024.
In March 2024, Nekesa was awarded the Title of Most Promising Girl in the Sports Personality of the Year Awards.
She turns out for the Kenya Women’s Under-20 team Rising Starlets and the Football Kenya Federation Women’s Premier League (FKF-WPL).
Playing as a forward for the Junior Starlets, Kenya’s U-17 women's national team, Valerie was instrumental in the team’s historic qualification for the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, making Kenya the first East African nation to qualify for this prestigious tournament.
Her performance on the global stage was exceptional, earning her a nomination for the 2024 CAF Young Player of the Year award.
During the World Cup, held in the Dominican Republic in October-November 2024, Nekesa made history by scoring Kenya’s first-ever goal at a World Cup competition, a remarkable achievement that has firmly established her as one of the country's rising football stars.
Her goal, alongside the team's historic victory over Mexico, underscored her critical role in the Junior Starlets' journey, even though they did not advance past the group stage.
Her campaign also marked a significant milestone for Kenyan football, as the team became the first to compete and win a match at a World Cup. This achievement was recognized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), with Valerie being nominated in the prestigious Young Player of the Year category.
The 2024 CAF Awards, scheduled for December 16 in Marrakech, Morocco, also recognised the Junior Starlets’ coach, Mildred Cheche, who earned a nomination for Women’s Coach of the Year.