Seychelles head coach Chris Yip-Au has called on the country’s football federation to maintain its support for the women’s national team despite their heavy defeat to Harambee Starlets, warning that cutting funding because of poor results would undermine their development.Seychelles suffered a 22-0 aggregate defeat to Kenya in their Olympic Games qualifiers, losing 11-0 in both legs.The two matches were played at the Ulinzi Sports Complex because Seychelles does not have a FIFA-accredited facility.##NAJAVA_MECA_10027789##Harambee Starlets head coach Godfrey Oduor fielded different starting line-ups in the two matches, giving more players an opportunity to feature.The home-based players started the first leg, while those plying trade abroad were given chance in Monday’s return fixture.Despite the disappointing outcome for Seychelles, Yip-Au acknowledged the gap in quality between the two sides, describing the encounter as a difficult challenge for her young team.Reflecting on the experience, the coach said Seychelles were still at an early stage of their development and would need patience as they sought to improve.“My biggest takeaway from the game is that, being a very small country, going up against Kenya was definitely going to be very difficult. We are starting at the base of the mountain and trying to climb up. Along the way, it is not going to be a smooth ride. Sometimes you go up, sometimes you stumble, but what is most important is that we keep moving forward because progress is not linear. That is what is most important for us,” she said.England-based Harambee Stars striker opens up on Benni McCarthy’s man-management skillsYip-Au also highlighted the importance of sustained financial backing, warning that heavy defeats could prompt calls for funding to be withdrawn instead of increased investment in the team’s development.She urged the federation to look beyond the scorelines and recognise the need to give the players more opportunities to compete and gain experience.“I would like Seychelles to continue growing and progressing, but there is also the issue of resources and expectations. The team is very young, and we want to continue developing.Will Murang'a Seal finally end wait for first league victory over Gor Mahia?Back home, we hope the federation continues to support us because, more often than not, when people see the scoreline, they want to withdraw funding because they think the team is not doing well. But if we are not given opportunities to go out and compete, we will always remain at this level.”The coach further described the qualifiers as a valuable learning opportunity for her players, noting that facing Kenya’s overseas-based players in the return leg presented a different challenge from the first encounter.“A lot of the Kenyan players we faced play overseas, and it was a very different game compared to the first match. We struggled, but we learn from the experience. It is a learning experience for us, and we are grateful for this opportunity,” she added.Aldrine Kibet's major stumbling block revealed by Celta head coach
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