NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 22 – Harambee Starlets midfielder Corazone Aquino will travel to Portugal on Friday to seal a one-year contract with top tier side Atletico Ouriense in what is the continuation of a new dawn for Kenyan women footballers.

This comes in the wake of the duo of keeper Annette Kundu and Ruth Ingotsi sealing a move to Cyprus while red hot forward Mwanahalima Adam is set to undergo month long trials in Sweden with another top-flight side Djugardens IF.

Another star player on the move is striker Cynthia Shilwatso who is also expected to travel to Sweden to join a second-tier club.

Aquino meanwhile has her move secured after finally getting her visa on Monday and she will join the Ourem based club for the remainder of their top-flight campaign.

“This is like the biggest thing in my career yet and I am so excited. I am thankful to God because women’s football is finally getting the recognition it deserves. At least we will have ‘foreign based’ Harambee Starlets players in the squad for once,” joked Aquino who has been a mainstay in the team for the last four years.

She added; “I can’t wait to get started at the new club. I have been told of it’s history and what they want to achieve and all their ambitions have attracted me. The rest is now to go and work hard and be a mainstay and definitely move up the ladder,” Aquino noted.

She added; “It is not easy, but I know where I have come from and that is motivation enough for me.”

Ouriense are placed eighth in the 12-team 1a Divisao and have accumulated 15 points from 12 matches. They are 24 points off leaders Benfica and have lost their last three games.

Aquino’s arrival at the club is expected to offer them a huge midfield steel and having done well for Starlets during the Olympic qualifiers and the 2019 CECAFA Women’s Challenge Cup, the 21 year old is expected to be a direct fit.

Aquino has previously played in Sweden where she plied for Malmo based FC Rosengard.

Meanwhile, Adam expects to impress the coaching team at the Stockholm based Djugardens and hope to follow in the footsteps of Harambee Stars forward Michael Olunga who also started his overseas venture in Sweden.

“It is a huge opportunity for me and I hope to go there and do my best InshaAllah. I am equal to the task and knowing how much this opportunity means to me, I will not let myself and Kenyans down,” Adam who is awaiting her visa told Capital Sport.

The Swedish Women’s League starts in mid-February.

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