Coaches confident in Kenyan U19 players landing deals in Spain
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Reading Time: 3min | Fri. 22.03.24. | 20:25
19 girls and 20 boys alongside officials drawn from the Kenya Academy of Sports and Ministry of Sports are expected to jet out this weekend to Spain for a two-week-long sporting engagement in Spain
Coaches tasked to handle the Kenya Under 19 select boys’ and girls’ teams heading to Spain are confident that a good number of the youngsters will secure deals with top academies and clubs from Europe following the two-week-long exposure.
19 girls and 20 boys alongside officials drawn from the Kenya Academy of Sports and Ministry of Sports are expected to jet out this weekend to Spain for a two-week-long sporting engagement in Spain.
Among the sporting engagements the two teams, who will be hosted by Nastic Sports Academy, will have in Spain will be featuring in the Costa Daurada Cup and elite training in Tarragona.
The first batch is expected to hit the runaway on Friday with the rest traveling on Saturday or Sunday.
The boys' team will be under the tutelage of former Harambee Stars coach Stanley Okumbi with the girls being under the watch of Jackline Juma. Vidah Okeyo and Elisha Nalianya will skipper the teams.
According to Nastic Academy bosses who were present during the flagging-off ceremony presided over by Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba, scouts from various academies and clubs in Spain will be keeping a close eye on the Kenyan talents.
With this in mind, Okumbi and Juma believe that there lies a huge possibility of several players securing deals similar to the ones the trio of Allan Kasavuli, Aldrine Kibet, and Amos Wanjala did last year.
The three are in the books of Nastic who were impressed by their qualities during the inter-school football games in which the Ministry of Sports bankrolled to the tune of Ksh.267 million last year.
“I am confident that more than five players will get deals. I have told my girls to grab the opportunity as these chances are rare and showcase their best. I am satisfied with the talent I have. I was involved in scouting to naming the last team. It is a good team, the girls are hard-working and confident,” said Juma who doubles up as the national U-15 team coach.
His counterpart on the other hand Okumbi remained bullish on matching the Spanish teams tactically despite his boys coming from regional leagues and school competitions.
“It will be a good exposure for the boys. It is a plus to have a team in Malawi and the others going to Spain. Most of our players finished school the other day and are in the lower leagues which are not as intense as the top and second tier. We have been working on that and I am sure we will compete fairly with the Spanish teams,” said Okumbi.
The sentiments by the two coaches who have a rich history of working with budding players were echoed by Namwamba who challenged the players not to let the opportunity slip through their hands.
“These are the pioneers of the Talanta Hela program. The program started way deep at the grassroots up to the national level. I am told scouts will be in Spain to watch our players which is a good opportunity,” said Namwamba.
Girls’ team to Spain
Mercy Akoth Oduor
Christine Adhiambo
Emily Kemunto Morang’a
Velma Awuor
Sunira Were Manda
Kathleen Jepchumba Kurgat
Quinter Adhiambo Odiwuor
Clotilda Auma
Halima Imbachi
Ann Brendah Ochieng
Sharon Vidah
Philister Atieno Ojuang
Ruth Akinyi
Joyangela Valencia
Elizabeth Mideva
Hilder Natecho Simiyu
Lornah Faith
Mitchel Waithera Muthama
Marion Musanga Serenge
Boys’ team to Spain
Dahir Abdikadir Abdullahi Bindu
Peter Juma
Levis Tirop Kirui
Derrick Okech Oloo
Abdulhafidh Abdillahi Abdalla
Irad Mshindi Ambugo
Nicholas Odhiambo
Hamisi Otieno Auma
Samuel Indonyi Malumbe
Dennis Ndung’u
Joseph Owino
Ismael David Odhiambo
Elisha Nalianya
Robert Mutie Mwikali
Austine Odongo
Instine Simiyu Wanjala
William Gitamu Mwangi
Alex Kelvin Kipruto
Idhris Hassan
Talena Ochieng’
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