Kenya: Thika United’s Juniors Fire the First Shot in New Competition

Odindo Ayieko

24 April 2011

Nairobi — For the last two weeks, Nairobi has been busy with young boys battling it out in the newly-formed Kenyan Premier League Under-19 championships.

Thika United won Sh300,000 by beating Sony Sugar in the final, but the real winners were the Kenyan youth. The talent on show no doubt proved that the Kenyan Premier League clubs indeed have reservoir for the future.

“This our best chance to show what the youth are made of. This is our tournament and we are happy to have been accorded this opportunity,” said Gor Mahia juniors’ captain Robert Onyango.

AFC Leopards’ striker Emmanuel Tostao said the future of the national team lies in the new tournament.

“We may be raw and naive in terms of our approach, but the more we play in competitions like this in front of crowds, the more we gain in confidence.”

The youth tournament aims at creating playing depth in clubs as well as availing youngsters the opportunity to play in well-structured competitions. Other tournaments will be held in the August and December school holidays.

The Kenyan Premier League is catering for all tournament expenses.

“We expect all clubs to cope with the acquisition of under-18 teams. In any case, it is now mandatory (to have a youth team),” said the KPL chief executive Jack Oguda.

To prove their seriousness, Gor Mahia brought in Cameroonian Anaba Awono to head the junior team’s technical bench.

“We want to maintain a permanent youth squad,” says the club chairman Ambrose Rachier.

“With the football authorities failing to institute a development programme to tap and nurture youth talent, KPL has joined corporates in the country to perform this task.”

Having a permanent under-19 team is now a pre-requisite for all clubs to play in the KPL.

“We want to contribute in the establishment of a structure than can give quality, well organised football to the age-group just below the young cadre of players in the KPL,” said Oguda.

Already, corporates have given clubs the podium to elect players with tournaments being held across the country.

Safaricom and Coca-Cola are running nationwide competitions targeting boys between 16 and 20 years. Already, the fruits of the corporate tournaments is evident.

Former Gor Mahia striker, Abdulmalik Mohammed, who is now in Sweden, was picked from the Safaricom Sakata Ball competition last year.

The 20-year-old from Isiolo, the top scorer in the Eastern zone of the Sakata Ball last season, rose to fame, first being picked to the national youth academy before he was signed by Gor Mahia.

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