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Engin Firat has constantly emphasised the need for Kenya to have better talent development hubs for youngsters, which Titus Mulama has completely agreed with.
Kenya's footballing fraternity has come together to spotlight a critical systemic failure—the lack of structures to nurture young talent.
Former Harambee Stars midfielder Titus Mulama and current national team coach Engin Firat have both criticised the inadequacies of the country’s youth systems, which they claim are stifling the development of promising players.
Mulama, formerly of Mathare United, attributes these challenges to the absence of comprehensive frameworks for tracking and grooming players from an early age.
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“Here in Kenya, we don’t have good youth structures, which makes it difficult for us to monitor a player and his performance from the age of 15, 16, 17 to know how he or she has been progressing,” Mulama told Citizen Digital.
Without adequate systems to oversee a player's growth, Mulama explained, coaches and selectors find it nearly impossible to determine when a young player is truly ready to transition to senior-level competition.
Mulama believes the problem is exacerbated by a lack of specialised training and frequent competitions, leaving young players unprepared for the demands of professional football.
For the first time ever, the Kenya national U-17 girls team Junior Starlets qualified for the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, while the Kenya U-20 men's side Rising Stars qualified for the side's first ever AFCON U-20.
These teams were helped massively by the Kenya Secondary School Games, as well as initiatives like Chapa Dimba na Safaricom, as well as Talanta Hela, but Mulama believes more talents can still be unearthed.
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“Young talents are often thrust into the spotlight prematurely or stagnate without a chance to reach their full potential. The lack of international exposure also limits their experience, making them unprepared for the rigorous demands of senior-level football,” he observed.
He added that the absence of dedicated youth tournaments and intensive training programmes leads to what he described as “half-baked” player development.
“You get a player who only plays in scarce school games, and they don’t get good exposure at international levels from a young age. The situation forces clubs to rely on older, experienced players, especially those who have competed abroad, while young players, despite their potential, are sidelined,” he remarked.
Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat has also condemned Kenya’s scouting system, which he says is ill-equipped to identify and nurture the abundant talent scattered across the country.
“{Another Lionel) Messi can be born here in Kenya and nobody will find him, or tomorrow, he can be directly in front of us so it’s all about luck. I really don’t know the real potential we have because there is no limit,” Firat said in a 2023 media briefing.
Firat pointed out that in other countries, talent is identified early, allowing coaches to maintain an overview of players as young as 16. “In Kenya, the problem is there is no scouting. I don’t know who I will find tomorrow," he explained.
Former Harambee Stars coach Jacob "Ghost" Mulee, who led the team to the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations, has also lamented the gaps in football education, saying they hinder Kenyan players’ progression.
“One of the reasons why our players struggle in Europe is because we take our rough diamonds,” Mulee said on the Oga Obina show. “Football education is still a challenge in Kenyan football. Our players start when it is very late. The foundation is the most important thing that we have been falling short on.”
Mulee recalled a 2009 conversation with Dennis Oliech’s coach at Nantes, who pointed out the lack of foundational football education in Kenya. “Dennis Oliech is a top striker in Kenya, but why is he not playing here? [The coach responded] football education [is missing]. That is what is ailing our football,” Mulee recounted.
He compared player development to constructing a house, highlighting the necessity of a strong base. “Developing a player is like building a house. Foundations have to be laid. That is what we lack,” he said.
The need for systemic reforms in Kenya’s football ecosystem is undeniable. From scouting networks to structured youth programmes, experts agree that the status quo must change to allow young talent to flourish. Without these transformations, the dreams of countless aspiring footballers may remain unfulfilled, leaving Kenya’s immense footballing potential untapped.
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