KIU, Main Campus - Kim Nana, one of the brilliant female footballers at Kampala International University (KIU), will keep her football dream alive despite the challenging times today.

The 23-year-old student who is pursuing a degree in education, is currently helping her parents with domestic chores in Gulu District. You'd be forgiven for thinking that this would put a dent in her football dreams.

However, Kim says her football dream is very much alive and there is no single day she ever thought about any other thing apart from football. She says football is a gift she got from God and that it is her natural affection.

"I think my football is a God-given talent and actually it is my natural love. I naturally love playing soccer," Nana says.

Nana is a versatile and skilled player blessed with a combination of agility, flair and accuracy. It is due to the above attributes that the star can play in three different positions on the football pitches although she primarily prefers to play as a holding midfielder or central defender.

Her love and conviction towards football is demonstrated by her consistent training among the males since there is no established female soccer team at KIU. She is one of the very few girls at the university who are actively engaged in football.

About Kim Nana

The lady known as Kim Nana today was actually born under the name Acirocan Nancy on 26th September 1996. She became 'Kim Nana' when she started playing football. Her love for football was evident in as early as her primary school days.

The love for the beautiful game soon bred an angel in her, making her prolific skills evident when she joined secondary school. Unlike in primary school where she used to play among boys, Nana found life quite easy in high school for she got chance to be part of predominantly ladies' teams.

Nana's unmatchable talent won her a bursary that enabled her to finish her later years in high school without support from her parents.

She featured in the post primary Copa Coca Cola tournaments, and the Airtel Women's League among others before joining university.

Nana joined KIU in August 2018 to pursue a Bachelors in Education. Despite KIU being without an established female football team, Nana has never regreted this decision. She says her primary goal at KIU is education but she can never let go of her football dream.

"I have never regreted joining KIU," she says. "I joined KIU for studies but I still play football and I am working towards my football dream."

Apart from acknowledging that Football is her divine gift, Nana says her mother inspires her alot to pursue a football career. The supremely talented athlete draws inspiration from Barcelona's Spanish midfielder Sergio Busquets and Crotian Ivan Rakitic.

Nana is also currently a player for the Lira Women's Club, although the university schedule has made it impossible for her to actively play for her childhood club since August 2018. 

She is optimistic that one day her name will feature on the national team squad. But for now, she is currently at home following all guidelines and restrictions of the lockdown.