Exclusive Interview with Desert Queens FC Coach on How He Led His 11-Month-Old Team to the Women’s Super League
Desert Queens FC founder and head coach Michael Pengeyo has guided the 11-month-old club to a historic promotion to the Women’s Super League after a remarkable debut season.
The Erongo-based club, which officially began competing in the 2025/26 season, has achieved promotion despite having only 11 months of competitive football behind it.
In this exclusive interview, Pengeyo reflects on the club’s rapid rise, the sacrifices made during its debut season, the challenges of preparing young players for the promotion playoffs and his plans to build a squad capable of competing in the Women’s Super League.
1. Coach Mike, Desert Queens FC have secured promotion to the Women’s Super League after a successful playoff campaign. What does this achievement mean to you, the players and the club?
It means a great deal to me personally, to the players and to everyone associated with Desert Queens FC. This achievement is the result of a clear vision, careful planning, hard work and sacrifice, so it is a moment we are extremely proud of.
What makes the achievement even more significant is the age of the club. Desert Queens FC only began competing officially during the 2025/26 season, meaning we have not even reached our first anniversary. The club will officially turn one in September.
From the beginning, our objective was to create a platform where young women could play football, develop their abilities, build confidence and believe that sport could open opportunities for them. Seeing these young players now earn promotion to the Women’s Super League is therefore a major milestone.
For the players, I believe this sends an important message: with belief, discipline, commitment and hard work, it is possible to achieve things that may initially appear beyond reach.
For the club, promotion represents the beginning of a new chapter. We are proud of what we have accomplished, but we also recognise that competing in the Women’s Super League will bring greater responsibilities and challenges.
2. Your team finished the playoffs with a perfect record, winning all three matches. What do you believe was the key to Desert Queens FC’s success throughout the campaign?
The biggest factors were teamwork, discipline, preparation and belief.
We knew every match would be difficult, so we never approached the playoffs as though anything had already been achieved. We treated every game as an important opportunity to move closer to our objective.
The players trusted one another, followed the instructions of the technical team and showed character whenever they came under pressure.
There was also a strong belief within the group. The players believed in their own abilities and trusted the work we had done throughout the season.
Winning all three matches was certainly not easy, but the mentality within the squad made a significant difference. Even when we faced difficult moments, the players remained committed and refused to give up.
3. How did you prepare the players mentally and tactically for the pressure of the promotion playoffs, knowing that only one team could secure promotion?
It was challenging because we had only about one week to prepare specifically for the playoffs.
We had finished the regional league roughly a month before the playoff date was confirmed, which meant there was a significant waiting period. Once the date was announced, however, we had very little time to prepare specifically for the competition.
Another challenge was that many of our players are still young and were writing their school examinations during this period. They therefore had to balance their education with football.
We were very conscious that football should not come at the expense of their education. We encouraged the players to manage their time responsibly, when it was time to study, they had to focus on their studies, and when it was time to train, they had to give their full commitment to football.
From a tactical perspective, we concentrated on restoring match rhythm, improving our organisation and ensuring that every player understood her responsibilities on the field.
Mentally, we encouraged the players not to become overwhelmed by the fact that only one team would be promoted. Instead, we focused on one match at a time. We told them to trust themselves, trust their teammates and trust the preparation we had completed.
4. Looking back at the season, which moments or challenges do you feel played the biggest role in shaping the team into a Super League side?
I believe the biggest factor was everything we experienced during the regional league season, long before we reached the promotion playoffs.
One of our biggest challenges was funding. Desert Queens FC did not have a sponsor throughout the season, and even after earning promotion to the Women’s Super League, we still do not have a sponsor. A significant portion of the costs of running the team was therefore covered from my own salary because I believe strongly in the vision of the club and wanted to ensure that these young players had an opportunity to compete.
We faced challenges with meals, transport and getting players to training sessions and matches. Some league matches were played in other towns, including Walvis Bay, and with limited financial resources, transporting the entire team was not always easy.
There were occasions when we had to stretch the resources available to us simply to ensure that the players could attend training and fulfil our fixtures. It was difficult, but we continued because we believed in what we were building.
What carried us through those challenges was the love, trust and unity within the team. The players believed in one another, trusted the technical team and, most importantly, believed in the vision of Desert Queens FC.
There were many moments when the lack of resources could have stopped us, but nobody gave up. We continued encouraging one another and finding solutions.
When I look back at winning the regional league, winning the NFA Cup and eventually securing promotion to the Women’s Super League, I do not only see the trophies. I see the sacrifices that made those achievements possible.
Now that we have reached the Women’s Super League, the level of competition and the financial demands will be significantly higher. We are therefore actively looking for sponsors and partners who can support the club.
We would welcome companies, organisations and individuals who believe in women’s football and youth development to come alongside Desert Queens FC. We have demonstrated what these young players can achieve with limited resources, and with the right support, we believe they can achieve even more at national level.
The love for the game, the trust within the team and our shared belief in what we could accomplish brought us to this point. We are now asking the community and potential sponsors to believe in this project and help us take the next step.
5. Now that Desert Queens FC have earned their place in the Women’s Super League, what are your plans and expectations for the team as you prepare for the next level?
We are realistic about the challenge ahead. To be honest, the team we currently have is not yet strong enough to comfortably compete in the Women’s Super League.
We have a good team, but the standard of football in the Super League is considerably higher. We therefore need to strengthen both the squad and the technical team.
Our plan is to improve every area of the squad, including goalkeeping, defence, midfield and attack, while also bringing in experienced players who can help us compete at the higher level.
One of the challenges is that many of the players we are interested in are already registered with other clubs, meaning transfers or releases may involve additional costs. Funding will therefore remain one of our biggest challenges.
We will soon begin our pre-season preparations, during which we will assess our current players and invite talented players who are interested in competing in the Women’s Super League. We are also engaging with some existing Super League clubs to explore opportunities to bring in experienced players, particularly those based on the coast.
Our primary objective in our first season is clear: we want to finish in a respectable position and avoid relegation.
We are not entering the Super League simply to participate. We want to compete. We know the challenge will be significant, and we are preparing ourselves for what I would describe as going to war on the football field.
We are also calling on companies, organisations and individuals from the Erongo Region to support the club. Without meaningful support, it will be extremely difficult for a young club like Desert Queens FC to compete sustainably at national level.
6. When did you start coaching Desert Queens FC, and what would you like to say to your fans and the people of the Erongo Region following this historic achievement?
I started Desert Queens FC from the beginning as the Founder and Head Coach. Although the idea and plans for the club had been developing for some time, we officially began competing during the 2025/26 season.
To secure promotion to the Women’s Super League before the club has even reached its first birthday is therefore a very special achievement.
I would like to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who has supported Desert Queens FC throughout this journey.
To our players, thank you for believing in the vision and for working tirelessly. To the technical team, management and officials, thank you for the work you have done behind the scenes to help build this club.
I also want to recognise the parents and families of our players. Their support has been extremely important. They have encouraged the players, kept supporting the team and stood with us throughout the journey.
To our supporters and the people of the Erongo Region, this achievement belongs to you as well.
Desert Queens FC is an Erongo club, and we want to represent the region with pride at national level. We are therefore calling on the people and businesses of Erongo to continue supporting women’s football and these young players as they take the next step in their careers.
We have achieved promotion, but the real work starts now. We need everyone behind us as we prepare to compete in the Women’s Super League.
This is not the end of our journey. It is the beginning of a much bigger one.
