Annabel Kiki – Golden Boot Winner

Women’s Amputee Football World Cup – Colombia 2024

We made it! We got there! Our dreams of competing in the very first female amputee football World Cup came true! Every single moment was magical – even the almost 24hr journey to get there!!

John Watson from The BBC was his usual amazing self, keeping the nation updated on our progress, live on Breakfast Television every morning:

Our first game against Peru really was the stuff of dreams. We won 6-0 and I scored 4 goals in under 8 minutes, which I think is a world record.

I also think I can officially claim the title: Annabel Kiki, the youngest World Cup goal scorer.

Annabel Kiki, the youngest World Cup goal scorer.

Again, John Watson covered the story:

My brother Archie and his friends should absolutely be the new sports pundits on TV. This was their reaction to our first match:

Next up we had Haiti – a much tougher game, but still a 1-0 win:

Our final group match saw us challenging Kenya. The temperature was 37 degrees and the heat got the better of us. We lost 1-0, meaning we had a much tougher route to the final – The USA in the quarters… and we lost, as England often do, on penalties. I scored mine, but it wasn’t enough, we were out, only able to play for our final official world ranking. Picking ourselves back up, we managed to beat Ecuador 3-0 where I scored my favourite goal of the tournament – a free kick from a good distance out:

Ukraine was our final match and I managed to sneak in another two goals.

This made me the top goal scorer of the tournament. I won the golden boot! I scored the most goals out of any player from any country throughout the whole of the competition.

I won the Golden Boot!

I literally still have a hard time saying those words! I won the golden boot, at the first ever women’s amputee football world cup! What a total dream! John Watson again calmly covered the story:

My immediate reaction though, was far from calm!

I couldn’t have done it without my teammates doing their jobs and getting the ball up the pitch, and strikers are always the lucky ones who get all the glory, but I want to make this award about much more than my ability to knock a ball into the back of a net. I want to use it to inspire others.

I had a shout-out on The Last Leg, and I am actually on the New Years Eve Special and I’ll add that video at the end of the blog when it airs.

I also had such a wonderful reaction from my school:

The whole evening of The Golden Boot win was just magical, and I know I keep using that word, but it was. I am literally the top goal scorer in the world! Wooooooo!

And I know there are people who will be cringing saying: be humble!!! But when you’ve been through what I’ve been through and when you’ve been given a second chance at life like I have, then you’ll understand why I’m so proud to shout about these magical things. Life can be cruel. People can be cruel. We should absolutely, wholeheartedly, embrace all of the good stuff, while the stuff is good!

But as the euphoria dies down, I am realising that this award does give me more of a voice. Dame Rachel de Souza, the children’s commissioner sent me a letter. She had seen me interviewed in one of John Watson’s BBC pieces and asked to meet me in Westminster. We had a wonderful chat about my journey and how I could potentially be an ambassador for the children’s commission to make positive change for this country. Obviously I said yes, yes, yes!! Hundreds of people have applied for the role, however, so we will have to see how far I get in the interview process, but I will give the selection procedure everything I’ve got! So watch this space!

Overall the World Cup in Colombia was an experience like no other and I thank every single one of you who donated to our fund – this is all because of you. Thank you.