Tusker to maintain transfer model behind rise of Ogam, Omole, Simiyu, and Erambo
Reading Time: 4min | Sun. 21.06.26. | 08:25
Over the past two seasons, the Mozzart Bet Cup champions have become a model for player development, with several recruits from the lower tiers blossoming into key figures for both club and country
Tusker FC chairman Charles Gacheru has revealed that the club will continue casting its net into Kenya's lower divisions in search of talent.
Download our Mozzart Sport App for more news
He insists the recruitment strategy that brought Ryan Ogam, Ian Simiyu, Thomas Omole and Chrispinus Erambo to Ruaraka remains central to the club's long-term vision.
At a time when many FKF Premier League clubs are increasingly turning to the National Super League (NSL) and lower leagues for ready-made talent, the Brewers have distinguished themselves not just by signing players from those levels, but by providing them with a clear pathway to growth and success at the highest level.
Over the past two seasons, the Mozzart Bet Cup champions have become a model for player development, with several recruits from the lower tiers blossoming into key figures for both club and country.
Perhaps no story captures that transformation better than that of Ogam.
Signed from the now-defunct Rainbow by former coach Charles Okere, the player arrived primarily as a defensive midfielder before being converted into a striker.
The gamble paid off handsomely, with Ogam developing into one of the country's most feared forwards and later emerging as a key figure for Harambee Stars during the African Nations Championship (CHAN).
The success stories did not end there.
Omole arrived from Samwest Blackboots after helping the side survive relegation, while Simiyu made the step up from the second tier and quickly established himself as one of the league's standout midfielders.
The pair joined Erambo, another player recruited from the lower ranks following his spell with the now-defunct Mombasa Elite.
All four have gone on to win admirers across the local football scene, reinforcing the belief that talent exists throughout the country if clubs are willing to invest time and patience in its development.
Speaking to Mozzart Sport, Gacheru said the club remains determined to identify hidden gems from the lower divisions and provide them with opportunities to thrive at the highest level.
"One hundred per cent, and you are forgetting Ryan. Tusker believes in developing local talent, and we know some of the best players are hidden in the National Super League and even in the lower divisions," said Gacheru.
The club chairman believes Kenya possesses an abundance of football talent, but argues that inadequate scouting structures often leave many gifted players undiscovered.
According to him, limited investment in scouting and player monitoring technologies continues to hinder talent identification across the country.
"Because we do not have a very good scouting system and we do not have enough technology, many talented players go unnoticed. Tusker is probably the only club in the league currently using Catapult vests consistently. If you go to France, children are monitored from a very young age, meaning talent rarely falls through the cracks," he explained.
Gacheru believes that with improved scouting networks and modern performance-tracking systems, Kenyan football would be in a much stronger position to identify and nurture talent from every corner of the country.
He pointed to players such as Ogam, Simiyu, and Erambo as examples of footballers who might easily have slipped through the cracks had they not been given an opportunity.
"In Kenya, you can have a brilliant player in Lodwar, Vihiga or Mukurweini, and nobody gets to see him. Sometimes finding players like Erambo, Ryan and Ian involves an element of luck because our scouting, both as clubs and as a country, is not yet where it should be. How many matches can you realistically watch? That is why we are deliberate about recruiting from the lower divisions and giving these players a platform."
The administrator is also confident that the club's technical bench has the capacity to continue turning raw talent into top-level performers.
With French tactician Julien Mette leading the team and Harambee Stars assistant coach Anthony Kimani part of the setup, Gacheru believes the Brewers have assembled the right environment for young players to flourish.
"We now have a foreign coach in Julien Mette and Anthony Kimani, who is also part of the Harambee Stars technical bench. We are keen on recruiting locally because we believe these players can be developed into important assets for both Tusker and the national team."