70-Year-Old Woman Keeps Playing Football in Nairobi’s Kibera

At 70 years old, Virginia Mumbua continues to play football in Nairobi’s Kibera neighbourhood, joining a women’s team for training after completing her daily household chores.

Mumbua recently took part in a training session with the Mugumoin women’s football team on a field surrounded by corrugated-metal homes in one of Africa’s largest informal settlements.

A Long-Standing Passion

Despite her age, Mumbua continues to warm up and train alongside her younger teammates. Football remains a long-standing passion for her, and she regularly makes time for the sport after finishing her daily responsibilities.

Her presence on the field has become a striking example of how football can remain part of people’s lives well beyond the traditional playing age.

Football in Kibera

The Mugumoin team was founded by women from the local community. Its training ground is a modest field surrounded by the dense neighbourhood of Kibera, where many residents live in homes made from corrugated metal sheets.

For Mumbua and her teammates, training is not simply about competition. It also provides an opportunity to stay active and spend time together within their community.

Still Showing Up for Training

Recent photographs from Nairobi show Mumbua warming up and taking part in drills with the team. She continues to attend training despite being several decades older than many of the players around her.

Her story also comes alongside a wider growth of football activities involving older women in Kenya, where several community teams have been using the sport as a way to maintain fitness and social connections.

For Mumbua, however, the routine remains simple: finish her daily work, put on her football gear and head to the field.

Sources

• Anadolu Agency via Reuters Connect — “70-Year-Old Woman keeps football passion alive in Nairobi’s Kibera” — September 28, 2026
• Federalna — “Sedamdesetogodišnja Kenijka i dalje igra fudbal u sirotinjskoj četvrti Kibera” — September 28, 2026