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Here are the top ten Kenyan footballers to watch in the 2023/2024 season.
After the curtains came down on the 2022/2023 FKF Premier League season, many Kenyan football fans are already anticipating an exciting 2023/2024 season, which pledges to be a very interesting season.
The elephant in the room so far is Shabana FC, whose fans are in dreamland as they prepare to witness their club take part in the top flight for the first time since 2006 next season.
Gusii stadium has been selling out every week in the National Super League and there is optimism it will get even better now that they will be taking part in the topflight. However, there is also more to look out for, including the top ten footballers to watch next season.
Pulse Sports Kenya picks the top ten footballers to watch out for next season. (Disclaimer- These are stictly local-based footballers)
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07:10 - 22.06.2023
FOOTBALL Francis Kimanzi explains reasons behind his success as Harambee Stars coach in 2008
Kimanzi famously led Kenya to its highest ever ranking of 68 in 2008.
Top ten footballers to watch in Kenya
10. Moses Shummah - Kakamega Homeboyz
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Moses Shummah is tenth in our list of top ten players to watch in Kenya. The Kakamega Homeboyz forward was recently given his debut by Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat at the Mauritius four nations tournament and even scored against Pakistan.
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11:20 - 03.06.2023
FOOTBALL Moses Shummah reveals secrets behind his success at Homeboyz, future plans after maiden Harambee Stars call-up
The 20-year-old forward has had a brilliant debut campaign in the top flight and was included into the Harambee Stars squad for the four-nations series
Shummah has had a decent first season in the top flight, and although he has only scored five goals in all competitions, has shown his capabilities as a team playing center forward who can hold the ball up well with his back to goal due to his technical ability and physical strength , link the play and also be a good target for aerial balls given his 6’2” frame.
With proper coaching, the Laiser Hill alumnus could become a proper striker who can make a career abroad, and also help the national team achieve its objectives.
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07:56 - 25.05.2023
FKFPL Ben Stanley Omondi: From playing Chelsea, Porto at 13 to being the main man at Sofapaka
Ben Stanley Omondi has registered three goals and seven assists in his debut top flight season for Sofapaka so far this season
9. Ben Stanley Omondi -Sofapaka
Another player who has had a stellar first season in the top flight, Ben Stanley Omondi makes our top ten footballers to watch in Kenya next season.
Omondi has scored three goals and registered 12 assists in his debut campaign, showing all the flair, trickery and creativity expected of an attacking midfielder. He also works very hard without the ball making him a painful thorn for any defensive midfielder to handle.
Omondi has long been tipped to be a success ever since he was a kid, and was part of the Kenya u14 squad that traveled to England to take part in the Southampton invitational tournament in 2017 , where he played against sides like Chelsea and Porto. Omondi will be hoping to build on from this season’s campaign.
8. Patrick Otieno -Posta Rangers
At number eight, Posta Rangers’ Patrick Otieno makes our list of the top ten players to watch in Kenya for 2023/2024.
The former Kariobangi Sharks man signed for the John Kamau-based outfit before the start of the 2022/23 season, and has shown his capabilities as a regular starter for the side.
He is very good at dwelling onto the ball until he finds options he can pass to. He has pace which makes him an asset to have especially in counter attacking situations. On top of that, he can play anywhere across the front three.
If he can work on becoming more effective, especially in the final third, The 22-year-old. going to become a fantastic player not just for his club, but also for Harambee Stars.
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07:00 - 18.06.2023
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7. David Odoyo -Tusker
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Tusker’s David is seventh on our list of top ten Kenyan footballers to watch for next season. The midfielder graduated to the senior team after being signed for the youth team from Green Commandos in Kakamega earlier this year, having just completed his final high school examinations in 2020.
Odoyo’s biggest asset is his off the ball work. His tenacity gives captain Humphrey Mieno a platform to be able to playmake from deep.He is also a good tackler of the ball, and has the capability to shoot the ball from distance in certain situations in efforts to try and score (the goal against KCB in the Mozzart Bet Cup quarter final is a good example)
Expect him to build on next season.
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18:19 - 09.06.2023
FKFPL "Austin Odhiambo can become Kenya’s best player"- Gor Mahia coach Johnathan McKinstry
The former AFC Leopards midfielder has been in decent form over the last three months for Gor Mahia.
6. Kayci Odhiambo- AFC Leopards
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AFC Leopards’ Kayci Odhiambo is sixth in our list of top ten Kenyan players to watch next season. Kayici initially trialed for Leopards as a midfielder but was pushed back to centre back in 2021 and has barely looked out of place.
Odhiambo’s biggest asset is his ability to bring the ball out of defence when under pressure which helps realise head coach Patrick Aussems ideologies of having his side control possession.
Odhiambo has undergone two serious injuries in his young career so far which has inconvincienced Ingwe, but if he can stay fit, he can certainly help Leopards improve and stand a chance of lifting their first FKF Premier League title since 1998.
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15:30 - 17.05.2023
FKFPL Kayci Odhiambo reminisces on victory over K’Ogalo and Confederation Cup ambitions
Odhiambo returned from a grueling injury to help Leopards beat Gor Mahia for the first time in seven years.
5. Denis Ng’ang’a- Gor Mahia
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Fifth on our list of players to watch in Kenya next season is Gor Mahia’s Dennis Ng’ang’a Njire. Alot of people would have expected us to include Benson Omala, but the striker has already been spoken about enough and our focus will be on one of K;ogalo’s most unsung heroes.
The former KCB and Wazito defender initially started off as a midfielder, before moving to left centre back. In certain situations, he also plays as a left back.
Ng’ang’a’s biggest strength is his ability to pass the ball with his left foot. As a result, he is the player who mostly takes freekicks and corner kicks for the side. He also plays progressive passes forward as well given his vision, which helps the side progress the ball when playing out from the back.
Ng’ang’a is also a decent reader of the game and has been tipped to earn an international call up sooner or later.
4. Hassan Abdallah -Bandari
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Bandari’s Hassan Abdallah is definitely in our top ten Kenyan Players to watch list. Nicknamed starboy by the Bandari faithful, he has had yet another brilliant season in the top flight, scoring 12 and assisting 12 in the top flight this season.
Abdallah can play on either flanks, and on top of being effective in the final third, is very good at isolating his opposing fullback in one v one situations. Abdallah has also proven to be useful for the national team, famously scoring the equalizing goal in the 1-1 draw with Egypt at the Kasarani Stadium.
As Bandari prepare to appoint a new manager for next season, they will be hoping to hang on to Abdallah, who has made himself an icon at the Mbaraki Stadium.
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13:28 - 09.05.2023
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3. Peter Ogechi Maestro -Shabana
We cannot complete this article without including a Shabana player. Step forward Peter Ogechi Maestro of Shabana. He makes our top ten Kenyan players to watch for 2023.
The midfielder has scored 14 goals in the NSL this season, and was particularly on song in the side’s win over Darajani Gogo in a packed Police Sacco Stadium on Friday 23 June 2023.
Ogechi scored a brace, with one of the goals being an unstoppable freekick, showing the ability to strike the ball well. The Gusii-born striker will be hoping to carry on the momentum from the second tier into the top flight if he is to help the side reach even greater heights in their first season back into the top flight.
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08:00 - 21.06.2023
FKFPL: ‘It was like going from grass to grace’ - Daniel Sakari shares journey from leisure football at the university to being a Harambee Stars regular
The Kenyan international right was playing rugby from 2013-2016 , but this is how he ended up playing football.
3. Musa Masika -KCB
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Third on the list of top ten Kenyan players to watch is Musa Masika. The KCB forward has been tipped for greatness for a long time now.
The Harambee Stars and former Wazito winger joined KCB in March after four months out in the cold following his release from the big boys last October.
Younger brother to Ayub Masika, the 23-year-old is known for his pace, trickery and flair. Apart from playing on either flank, he can also play as a secondary striker, a position he has featured regularly for the bankers under Zedekiah Zico Otieno. He has scored two goals for the side, including a magnificent free kick against Mathare United as his first goal.
Now that he is well settled into the team, he can hope to build on next season and make a case into returning to the top of his game.
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05:00 - 23.06.2023
FKFPL Muyoti hails young City Stars striker linked to AFC Leopards after stellar debut season
Etemesi has scored 12 goals in his debut FKFPL season, with 10 of them being braces.
2.Kevin Etemesi -Nairobi City Stars
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Second in our list of the top ten Kenyan players to watch next season, Kevin Etemesi is another player who has had a good first season.
Having signed for Nairobi City Stars from Kangemi All Stars in 2022, he has gone on to score 12 goals this season, including five braces.
He was signed as a winger, but proved not to be effective there, as he would lose the ball on so many occasions. Nicholas Muyoti realized that he was better down the middle as he liked the ball played into his feet, and it is a decision that has proved worth a million dollars. All his goals have come since the beginning of April in that very position.
He will hope to build on from such impressive form in a new role next season.
1.Charles Ouma- Kenya Police
Charles Ouma is first on our list of top ten Kenyan players to watch for next season. The towering Kenya Police has had quite an interesting journey to the top, and recently earned his first call up to the Harambee Stars squad for the Mauritius four nations tournament in June.
The 20-year old has cemented his place as a deep lying playmaker alongside Marvine Nabwire for the Francis Baraza based outfit, and together, both lay a platform for Clifton Miheso, Duke Abuya and Francis Kahata to create for striker Elvis Rupia.
He is good in the air,can pass a ball well and has energy which essentially makes him complete.
Which player are you looking forward to watching and did we miss anyone out? Let us know in the comments.
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