)
The former AFC Leopards player gives his honest opinion on the state of player welfare Kenyan football.
Retired Kenyan international Allan Wanga has slammed the alarming state of negligence with regards to player welfare in the country.
Speaking to the Iko Nini Podcast, the former footballer, who played both internationally and locally for teams like Tusker, AFC Leopards, and Sofapaka, called out the minimal wages Kenyan footballers are subjected to earning, as well as the sub-standard state of handling player injuries.
There were claims by popular comedian Rapcha that footballer injuries are treated by “mere rubbing and blowing”, claims that Wanga fully agrees with.
“It is no lie! I keep saying Kenyan football needs to change for a lot of reasons,” he said. “I have gone through these sorts of problems before,” he added.
“I left Tusker earning Ksh 9000 a month before leaving for Angola! The highest-paid footballers were being paid Ksh 17,000 in 2007.
)
06:00 - 02.06.2023
RUGBY Injera explains how KRU can revive relegated Shujaa
The Kenya Sevens great revealed what the country must to do if they have to return the team to its glory days
“The likes of Dennis Oliech, Victor Wanyama, and MacDonald Mariga did not last in Kenyan football for long and things panned out for them quickly.
"I left for Angola and then as soon as I had money on my hands, went to Azerbaijan, returned to Kenya through Sofapaka, and then Vietnam. I am in a good place to explain the state of Kenyan football.”
“For the professional footballers, Brian ‘Niang’ Mandela suffered an injury and was flown back to South Africa. Arnold Origi was flown back by his club after suffering an injury when we were playing Guinea at Nyayo national stadium.
)
18:00 - 01.06.2023
RUGBY Injera blasts former Kenya Sevens coach for splitting the team as he reveals desire to coach Shujaa
The Kenya Sevens great laid bare the behind-the-scenes intrigues that contributed to Shujaa’s poor showing in the World Rugby Sevens Series
“If you compare with players who ply their trade locally, injuries are literally career-ending. Someone like Anthony (Modo) Kimani (the immediate former Bandari coach suffered a knee injury that ended his career).
“I thank God I was not able to suffer serious injuries that required me to go through surgery because it would have been career-ending.”
The former goal-scoring machine, who now serves in Kakamega County as the sports director bemoaned the fact that Kenyan football coaches are not given the conditions necessary to man-manage their squad ideally, as they are mostly hired to just deliver results on the pitch.
)
18:40 - 31.05.2023
STARS ABROAD Red carded Erick Ouma explains reason for choking opponent in Swedish Derby
The defender was sent off in the 92nd minute for choking an opponent.
“Kenyan coaches only focus on the team performance and results because it is a results-based business in Kenyan football and you get sacked if you do not deliver. Even current Tusker coach Robert Matano once drank liniment, thinking it was water due to pressure.
“I once tore my tendon when I was at AFC Leopards, but the coach demanded I played because I could score goals. We were in a title race at the time, but rather than consider my state, he demanded I got injected with painkillers and keep playing.”
Wanga played for Tusker in 2007 and scored 21 goals in 23 games. The impressive form earned a first chance to sign for a foreign club as he joined Petro Atletico of Angola in 2008.
18:00 - 01.06.2023
RUGBY Injera blasts former Kenya Sevens coach for splitting the team as he reveals desire to coach Shujaa
The Kenya Sevens great laid bare the behind-the-scenes intrigues that contributed to Shujaa’s poor showing in the World Rugby Sevens Series
In 2010, he signed for FC Baku of Azerbaijan before he made another move to Hoang Anh Gia Lai of Vietnam in 2013. He returned the same year and signed for AFC Leopards, initially on loan before the move was made permanent for the 2013/14 season.
His second foreign club was Sudan’s Al-Merrikh which he signed for in 2015 before he moved to Azam FC of Tanzania. He returned to Kenya and joined Tusker where he remained until his Kakamega Homeboyz move in 2018 where he played for three years before hanging up his boots.
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)