Former AFC Leopards striker Francis Chinjili has urged the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) to establish strong development structures that will allow players from lower leagues to seamlessly transition to national teams.Speaking to Mozzart Sport, Chinjili noted that with proper systems in place, the upcoming U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) squad should have included more players from the grassroots.Follow Our WhatsApp Channel For More News!!!”We need proper structures. We’re seeing many foreign-based players getting call-ups, which is good—but it should also serve as a wake-up call for our football stakeholders,” said the former Mahakama FC goal-poacher.##NAJAVA_MECA_8842308##When asked why this serves as a wake-up call, Chinjili explained, “The U17 and U20 teams should primarily consist of players from the lower leagues. That’s how you build a competitive national team. But the issue isn’t just with the Federation—it’s a systemic problem.”He continued, “When you go down to the county leagues, that’s where the real challenge starts. A 28, 30, or even 24-year-old shouldn’t be playing in the sixth-tier league. That space should be reserved for youth development.”Chinjili called on FKF to implement clear measures that reinforce the development pipeline.Mvurya confirms Kenya’s payment of Ksh1.6 billion CHAN hosting fee to CAF”Let the National Super League (NSL) and Division One focus on grooming players for the top flight, while the County League nurtures young talent.If we do that, we’ll start to see a very different national team going forward—starting with the squad heading to Egypt.”His remarks come as the Rising Stars prepare for the upcoming U20 AFCON, with the majority of the provisional squad composed of FKF Premier League and foreign-based players.##NAJAVA_MECA_8842314##Only four players in the current squad come from the National Super League.The Rising Stars secured their spot at the continental tournament following a strong performance at the 2024 CECAFA U20 Qualifiers, where they finished second after narrowly losing to Tanzania in the final.McCarthy asks authorities to go after all individuals linked with Matasi’s alleged match-fixingThe squad was selected following a series of mini-camps aimed at scouting the best young talent across the country.Head coach Salim Babu and his technical bench eventually trimmed the list down to a balanced mix of local and foreign-based players.
