Legendary Harambee Stars defender Kennedy Ambundo is confident that Kenya can qualify into the 2026 FIFA World Cup if the current young players are well mentored and given quality time to train.
The founder of Jiamini Football Academy was part of the national team that thrashed Djibouti 11-1 said he has no hopes for the current squad but assured that if the young talents that were runners’ up at the Cecafa Junior Challenge held in Eritrea, then they will make a difference in football in this country.
“At the moment I don’t really have much expectation with the national team but plans are being put in place and in ten years, we will be a force to reckon with because the federation is investing in young people. The federation has started a centre of excellence and young people are being recruited from 13 years are growing through the system, being exposed.
The footballer turned dairy farmer said that there is a lot of hope for young people to take up national team especially from youthful leagues in the country and Chapa Dimba tournaments and the later, the players were taken to Spain and that is a good exposure to them.
“The young players, both boys and girls were runners’ up in cecafa challenge in 2019. That was a great show that the country is moving to a greater height and I can see bright future in the national team,” he said.
He added: “And if somebody tells me that the national team is likely to qualify for 2026 FIFA World cup I see that being a possibility because the young boys are the future. Let us give them enough support and facilitation then we will get there.”
Ambundo who started his professional football career at Eldoret Stima, went ahead to play for Eldoret Cereals before the sun shone on him while at Kenya Cooperative Creameries (KCC) in Eldoret.
While playing for KCC, the club offered him good playing time, getting an opportunity to play for the national team Harambee Stars for two years, from 1998 to 1999 winning Moi Golden Cup in 1997 and 1998 before losing to Mathare United in 1999.
“We won Moi Golden cup as a result of good preparations with good team manager Joseph Korir though human beings have different ways of looking at individuals. At KCC we were really supported,” he narrated.
While playing for Stars, he managed to play against nations like Congo DRC, Ethiopia, beating Djibouti 11-1, Mozambique, Seychelles, Uganda among others.
“If I can recall very well the team was sponsored and we had money. Though there was a delay in payments, we were paid and benefitted with it. We did what we could do with the money,” said Ambundo.
The fluent speaker said he neither retired nor quit the sport but situation forced him to think otherwise after the club was put under receivership.
“For me, I don’t know what to say if I retired or not but in 1999 I was almost 30 years and the club went under receivership and we were laid off then I had different priorities. It was too clear to me that at around 30 it will be impossible to go professional way so I chose to pursue another path and that is how I stopped playing.” He explained.
While in the national team, in played alongside my captain Musa Otieno who is still his good friend, Francis Onyiso, Ogweno, Tom Juma, Philip Ouma, John Mwiruri and many others.
“After football, I managed to adapt new life easily due to my family who are the key to my life. I have had a very supportive wife and children and I managed to come this far,” he said.
“Once a footballer always a footballer and started Jiamini Soccer Skills that specializes in youth development by giving young people life skills and nurturing their talents. Above all, I do dairy farming that I started three years ago.
He says he started dairy farming and he has been advising young people and this has always been his gospel to young people that there is money in farming.
“I started with two cows and now am approaching five where I milk ten to 12 litres a day per cow,” he said.
At Jiamini Football Academy, Ambundo said he tells young people to believe in themselves hence the name.
“We started with two kids but now we have grown. The boys that I picked when they were in class five right now they have grown to secondary. It is quite clear that we are doing something different and am a firm believer in young people. We are also targeting to get a senior team from these young people. There are people showing interest in our team and looking forward to a good partnership.”
Source: Opera News