Recently, the Kenya Footballers Welfare Association (KEFWA) – the body mandated with protecting, improving and negotiating the conditions, rights and status of all professional players in the country – launched an initiative to take care of a largely forgotten group of athletes – non contracted players.Since the 28th of September, the body headed by former Tuskercaptain James Situma and former Kenyan International Jerry Santo came together to take players who are currently not attached at any club in a bid to increase their market value and get them back into the competitive game after enduring a club less spell following either being released or suffering injuries.On Wednesday, Mozzart Sport caught up with the body after they were defeated 2-0 by reigning league champions Tusker in a friendly match staged at Thika Stadium to grasp the goals of the one of a kind initiative introduced, Situma revealing what the body intends to achieve with the free agents who include top tier names such as Clifton Miheso, Micael Kibwage, Duncan Otieno, John Kuol and John Mark Makwatta all who have graced the top-flight league with the top clubs in the land. “The end game for this initiative is to make the non contracted players that we have get spotted by the clubs that are around the country. When you look at players who do not have contracts, it is always a matter of them not getting chances to be seen after suffering injuries or being released by their previous clubs. Most of the coaches want someone who is fit before they sign them, so during these friendly games that we are currently having, we give them the opportunity to gain match fitness and to get themselves back to the game gradually. So whoever impresses will get their chance to be snapped by the suitors,” Situma remarked.We are underway for our friendly match today against @tusker_fc at Thika Municipal Stadium.#KefwaNonContractedPlayers#TuskerFc pic.twitter.com/EHh4bRvfq9— KEFWA (@kefwaofficial) October 13, 2021 “Another reason for this initiative is that it is hard training on your own. It is really hard to gauge yourself and getting friendly games to play in as an individual as compared to training as a unit. At least right now, we give them an opportunity to know their weaknesses and what they have to do to in order to get themselves to the levels required.”With the team boasting over twenty players with a mix of experienced and youngsters hoping to make it professionally, it is an open secret that not all of the players will make the cut to be signed by the end of the transfer window that closes on November 1. However, Situma insisted that the session will metamorphosize into a wholesome long term project and not end should some of the players fail to achieve their intended targets.”We will continue with a long term program from this. The beauty is that even when the transfer window closes and the league is on, we know the next window will be in six months. During that time, teams normally require friendly matches to sharpen their charges before the weekend games to probably correct their weaknesses. Apart from just the games, we are all about educating and mentoring these players because on top of being physically fit, you need to be mentally and psychologically okay to perform at the top level. So these are aspects that we are focused on. We want to also have sessions with top coaches and experts like Francis Kimanzi, Robert Matano or Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno to come and talk to them and guide them,” Situma concluded.Currently, former Gor Mahia winger Miheso and AFC Leopards striker Makwatta are some of the names that are on the verge of getting deals after training and keeping fit under the initiative. The duo is reported to be close to joining newly promoted Kenya Police after training with the outfit. Miheso on the verge of joining Police FC
