Growing up as a young girl in the outskirts of Nairobi Kenya, Martha Karimi was the custodian of the soccer ball that she and her friends in the neighbourhood played any time they were not in school or helping their parents at home.

"I was known in the entire neighbourhood as the girl that played football all the time, so to ensure that I missed none of the sessions I kept the ball and a makeshift goal post that we used in our community field at Githurai, I was also the one who would decide who makes it into the team."  


She later joined the Mathare Youth Soccer Academy (MYSA) where she met other girls who equally loved football.

"MYSA programme exposed me to more skills in football and the more I attended the academy I realized my passion for the game was never-ending anytime."

The last born in a family of four siblings and the only one who had shown interest in sports, her biggest task was to persuade her parents to let her play football a game that was played by boys at her age. 

"My parents were not at first ready to let their little girl play football with the boys, something that was frowned about. But I was determined to play football and excel. I played in the  Norway Cup tournament in 1999  where we made it to the quarter-finals and that's when they realized I was serious about playing football, ever since they are my biggest cheerleaders to date".

The following year, the seasoned midfielder was handed her maiden national team call up with the Harambee Starlets in an international friendly against Ethiopia while still in high school.

She joined the Mathare united women football team immediately after school and where she played for three years before joining the gold club in Kenya.

While playing ,she also pursued coaching classes in order to understand football  more.

''My desire understand the game more technically led me to grab every opportunity that came my way to expand my football knowledge. In a game that is perceived as a 'mans ' game, I always make sure I am in touch with the trends of the game "

Apart from being a key player in Kenya national team, Karimi pursued coaching programs with KNVB in South Africa and Holland while the same time coached MYSA under 16 girls team.

In the year 2011, she joined the Zwolle women football team in Holland to become one the pioneer professional women footballers from the East African region.

"The experience was an eye-opener and it exposed me to playing football at a different level, and with it came responsibility because other girls looked up to me, this fueled my desire to see more girls get the opportunities to play football."   

While still playing in Holland, Karimi attained her UEFA C coaching license 

In 2016 she was part of the team that played the Africa Women Cup of Nations Qualifiers.

Karimi who a FIFA certified  Football instructor attached to the Football Federation of Kenya was part of the 60 instructors who took part in the FIFA  instructors course in Africa that was held in Nairobi two weeks ago.

As a football instructor, her role includes passing on football knowledge to coaches countrywide under the Basic/Advanced Coaching level.

"I enjoy impacting football knowledge anytime, it gives me the satisfaction to be part of growing this game that has given me much, its basically my life.

Karimi also doubles up as the coach for both boys and girls under 17 football teams at the German School. 

when I ask her about her future plans...

"My own dreams scare me at times, they are huge!

"I definitely would love to coach a national team one day all the  way to the World Cup, my dream for the girls who would love play football across the continent is they find the opportunities they deserve without holding back and I will keep playing my part through mentorship and spreading football knowledge across Africa"

When not coaching and mentoring girls and boys through the World coaches program that is facilitated by KNVB football and life skills she makes time to play football.

"There is  a lot of progress of inclusion of women in football in my country and the continent, an active  and growing Women Premier League in the country and the increase in  numbers of women  actively involved in the football shows  progress compared to when I started playing''

"I look forward to the day that girls and women in football will have equal opportunities as their male counterparts in the game".