Mariga explains why FKF is courting over 15 Harambee Stars prospects

FKF vice president McDonald Mariga has elucidated why the federation is on a mission to lure over 15 professional footballers of Kenyan descent to play for the senior national football team, Harambee Stars.

Follow our WhatsApp channel for more news

FKF have upscalled efforts to bring on board Harambee Stars prospects and has dispatched a delegation led by Mariga and Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy to engage some of the European-based players to switch allegiance and turn out for Kenya.

Appearing in a recent podcast alongside his younger brother and former Harambee Stars captain Victor Wanyama, Mariga explained the motivation behind the move.

“The more we have professional players, the better our national team will be because professionally, you train differently, eat differently and even earn better, which is not the case locally,” Mariga told UpSyd Digital Networks.

The former Inter Milan midfielder went ahead to list some of the parameters and indicators of football growth in a country and why neighbours Tanzania and Uganda are performing better than Kenya on the continental stage.

“We should get to a level where players have their own cars, houses and such and fully depend on football as their source of livelihood instead of looking for alternative sources of income that eventually turn football into an alternative.

Until we reach that level, we will struggle. Tanzania and Uganda are on that path, and that is why they compete in almost all AFCON editions,” he added.

The 2010 UEFA Champions League winner went ahead to heap praise on one of the many footballers under the radar of FKF.

“We are following up with about 15 professional footballers who have never played for Kenya but are performing at the top level on the international stage, including Linton Maina of FC Koln, who is a very good player.”

Some of the Harambee Stars prospects include US-born forward Andre Gitau, who currently plays for FSV Mainz 05 II.

Others are English-based quartet Zak Vyner plying his trade with English Championship side Wrexham, Everton duo of Tyler Onyango and Ray Roberts, as well as Zech Obiero of Tranmere Rovers, among others.

Click here to read article