Kenya’s Sports Cabinet Secretary, Ababu Namwamba, exudes confidence in the nation’s ability to find a suitable replacement for their captain, Michael Olunga, as he believes there’s another promising young striker ready to step up.
Namwamba is optimistic about the future of Harambee Stars, Kenya’s national football team, and sees 17-year-old Luis Ingavi as a potential successor to Olunga. Ingavi earned a football scholarship at the renowned Montverde Academy in Florida in August, following an impressive stint at Goseta Secondary School.
Montverde Academy has a track record of producing professional athletes, including former St. Anthony’s Boys Kitale captain, Philip Mayaka. Namwamba believes that the combination of Ingavi’s inherent talent and the elite-level training he’s receiving will catapult him to stardom on the national team.
“Our long-term goal is the 2030 World Cup, which will be partly hosted in Morocco,” Namwamba emphasized, explaining the need for forward-thinking in Kenya’s football development.
“I visited Montverde Academy in Orlando, Florida, to meet 17-year-old Luis Ingavi, who received a football scholarship straight from Goseta Secondary School,” he continued.
“While watching Ingavi play against opponents from Ghana, Brazil, Argentina, and other places, I realized Kenya shouldn’t worry too much about finding a successor to Michael Olunga. He’s right here, he’s 17, and he’s receiving training at the highest, elite level.”
In addition to Ingavi, the Sports Cabinet Secretary also places high hopes on four other Kenyan youngsters who have secured scholarships abroad. Among them is Aldrine Kibet, a rising star from St. Anthony’s Boys Kitale, who is currently at the Nastic Soccer Academy (NSA) in Tarragona, Spain.
“We hosted the families of three other boys who were part of that talent camp: Aldrine Kibet, Amos Wanjala, Alvin Kasavuli. We hosted them before they left for Tarragona in Spain,” Namwamba added.
“And now, in fact, there are four boys because Ezekiel Ngua from Kilifi county has joined the group. So, in Tarragona alone, we have four boys in addition to Luis Ingavi, making it five boys directly from our school system following that pipeline.”
Namwamba firmly believes that nurturing young talent from schools is the path to success for Kenyan football. He hopes that these promising talents will serve as an example and eventually lead Harambee Stars to success in the near future.
“Every week, I receive clips of those boys, I watch them closely. Amos is a central defender, a classical sweeper; Kasavuli is a central midfielder; Kibet is a creative playmaker, a classic No.10; Ingavi is a classic striker, a No.9. I see a backbone for the future Harambee Stars in these young individuals,” Namwamba concluded.
