Twelve Nakuru County young players picked for National Team trials

Written by James Alumera

Twelve young football players from Nakuru County have embarked on a journey that could potentially lead them to national stardom. Scouted from the Talanta Hela National Under 19 Inter-County Football competition, the 9 boys and 3 girls, now find themselves at the Kasarani camp in Nairobi. From December 14th to 22nd, they are set to showcase their skills representing Nakuru County.

The County’s Directorate of Sports announced these gifted individuals as part of the elite group destined to join the National Team, Harambee Stars, in the under-18 and under-20 categories

Josephine Atieno Achieng, the County’s Executive Committee Member for Youth, Sports, Gender, and Social Services, congratulated and encouraged all young people to seize every opportunity to nurture their talents, fostering both personal growth and socio-economic stability.

Looking ahead, the squad that will form the Harambee Stars Under-20 team is set to have a friendly match with the Spain Under-20 team in the coming year, showcasing the international exposure these young talents are gaining.

From the Nakuru County Boys’ Team, Fredrick Odinga was among the top scorers with seven goals, just one goal short of being the National Top scorer of the Talanta Hela National Under-19 Inter-County Football Tournament.

Odinga scored four goals against the Makueni County team and one goal against Uasin Gishu County during their group-stage games. The other two goals were scored against Nyamira and Homabay.

The Chief Officer for Youth, Sports, Talent, and Resource Mobilization, Pastor Alex Maina, couldn’t hide his joy as he commended the teams for earning the privilege to join the National Team. He emphasized the importance of embracing sporting activities in the 21st century, citing the potential for decent income generation.

The teams’ leadership encourages the youth in Nakuru to be more active in sports, emphasizing the opportunities for training and exposure that could catapult them onto the national and international stage. As Nakuru’s rising stars continue to shine, the journey from local fields to national stardom unfolds with promising potential.

The twelve players picked from Nakuru include; Peter Omondi, Ronald Echesa, Fredrick Odinga, Joseph Ndungu, Ahmed Charoum, Elisha Nalianya, Nicholas Odhiambo, Polestine Okoth, Reagan Nyapola, Yvonne Sekila Precious and Zawadi Jael Awino.