Bandari's Chetambe eager to guide his young bros to stardom

Danson Chetambe is a household name in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL) as far as creating scoring chances is concerned.

The midfielder marked his Harambee Stars debut with an assist in an international friendly match against South Sudan on March 13 at the Nyayo National Stadium.

A lot has been written about the soft-spoken midfielder but little is known about his footballing family.

Mozzart Sport caught up with the Bandari midfielder who lifted the lid on the qualities of his two brothers as well as his prospects ahead of the final 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, targets for the 2020-2021 season and thoughts on his struggling former employer Zoo FC.

Chetambe is a player who is undoubtedly the face value of his footballing family which boasts of having fast-rising Zoo FC midfielder Edwin Nakamasaka and the little-known Erick Namasaka who is still a student at Koyonzo Boys Secondary School.

Nicknamed Dante, Chetambe who cut his teeth into the game at Busia Lions believes his siblings are equally talented it is just a matter of time before they join him in jostling for places in the Stars team and playing in Europe.

“Edwin is almost at my level but is he short of both the National Super League and top-flight experience. As his mentor, I keep close tabs zz his progress and from the few appearances he has made for Zoo, he has performed well and I will not be surprised to see him become a starter and later scale to the next phase of his career. Erick on the other hand is coming up well and he is one for the future,” he opened up.

Chetambe who was rewarded with a slot in the squad set to tackle Egypt and Togo in the final qualifiers says his assist against South Sudan will inspire him to fight for the starting roles in the two matches scheduled for Thursday and next week Monday respectively.

He acknowledges the competition from foreign-based players who will also be eyeing to convince coach Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee will push him to become a better player as well as present him with an opportunity to learn from them.

“It was a nice experience to debut with an assist but I can afford to rest on my laurels for we have two important assignments ahead of us. I am aware there will be massive competition in the team due to the presence of the foreign-based players but my job is to work hard and leave the coach to call the shots,” he intimated.

With seven assists pegged against his name hardly fifteen rounds in the FKFPL season, the 26-year-old revealed that he had set a target of at least fifteen assists before the season began. He disclosed his form was inspired by the fact that he had adapted to Bandari’s style of play and the coastal weather.

“My target was fifteen assists and I am glad I am halfway there. I struggled in the past one and half season’s at Bandari as I had not adapted to the Mombasa weather and their style of play but that is now behind me. I pray for an injury-free career so as to achieve my childhood dream of playing abroad,” he disclosed

Meanwhile, Chetambe hailed Zoo for offering him the platform to showcase his talent. He promised to uphold sportsmanlike conduct and shelve celebrations should he score against them in the second leg or in the subsequent seasons.

“I have a lot of respect for Zoo for believing in me and giving me the platform to express myself. It is a club which I can never celebrate scoring against out of the regards I have for them. I sincerely hope they retain their top-flight status,” he concluded