Kenya U20 midfielder Kevin Wangaya has revealed that Italian giants once had an interest in signing him and opened up on why the deal fell through.Wangaya is one of the notable figures and stars in the Rising Stars squad that is currently camping in Egypt in readiness for the CAF U 20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) that begins on Sunday 27 April in Egypt.In April 2017, Wangaya traveled with his academy, Ligi Ndogo, for an Under-13 tournament and faced, among others, Napoli, Lazio, and Juventus.Wangaya performed well, was named player of the tournament and caught the eye of Juventus who expressed interest in signing him but his physical attributes let him down.Kenya U20 captain’s message to fans ahead of U20 AFCON“I was given a Paul Pogba jersey, who was my hero then, for winning player of the tournament. Juventus showed interest, but said that I was still small and with a small physique,” said Wangaya in a recent interview with TV 47.But who is Wangaya? Where was he born and bred? How has his football journey been? Mozzart Sport looks at the journey and the young and promising career of the Rising Stars midfielder.“It has been a long journey of ups and downs, and I thank God because he has made me reach where I am today,” he stated.Wangaya Injehu was born in Nairobi on 30 November 2005 and grew up in Kabiria and the slums of Waithaka, Dagoretti, where he started playing for an estate outfit, Match 90.Born to a father who was a footballer himself, Wangaya used to accompany his Dad for training and later trained with his team.“My father was my motivation. I used to wake up early with him to go for training, and at about 7 years old, I started playing with his team and adapted quickly,” he said.##NAJAVA_MECA_8885000##It is through training with people way older than him and still enjoying football that he fell in love with the game but then faced mixed reception of football at home.“It is from there that I knew football was my talent, and luckily, my dad supported me because we were training together.My mother on the other hand did jot want me to play football but at least she currently understands. She knows what football can do and what I can do on the pitch.”At the Age of 8, the 19-year-old joined Ngong Road-based Ligi Ndogo Academy, where he rose and played through the ranks from the Under 9 all through to Under 17.During his primary school education, Wangaya earned a football scholarship at Laiser Hill Academy in class 7, but lasted for just a year as he later quit and joined the Center of Excellence – A football Academy run by FKF that integrated football with formal education through homeschooling.Benni McCarthy’s shadow looms large as Rising Stars eye World Cup spot at U-20 AFCONThe Center of Excellence was later closed due to, among other things, COVID-19, forcing Wangaya to join Riverside Primary, where he sat for his KCPE before joining Ruthimitu Secondary in Dagoretti for his secondary education.Back to Ligi Ndogo, after competing in the tournament in Italy in 2017, Wangaya was also to proceed to Sweden with his academy, but was dropped by the coach.This moved turned out to be a blessing in disguise as while Ligi Ndogo were Sweden, the Kenya U 13 were carrying out trials at Kasarani Stadium which he attended, was selected and has since risen through the ranks and played in the Under 13, U 15, U 17 and now is with the Rising Stars.While in form three, Wangaya impressed coach William Muluya and joined Kariobangi Sharks from where he joined his current club, Albania second tier side FK Apolonia.“Kariobangi Sharks and Muluya got interested in me after watching me play for Ligi Ndogo in a tournament, and signed me as a form three student. I left Sharks after form four to go to Europe. Things are a bit different there because it is also a higher level, and I get to learn every day,” remarked Wangaya.Kevin Wangaya 🙌Free kick hatari sana 🚀#RisingStars pic.twitter.com/VLu1iYAN1F— Harambee Stars (@Harambee__Stars) October 6, 2024 While Wangaya is still in the early stages of his professional career, he is far from where he wants to be, his journey so far has not been an easy one as most of his friends fell off along the way.“There are friends who we started playing football with and dropped along the way because the journey was difficult and they did not trust the process.They wanted quick gratitude and instant success, but football needs patience. You do not just wake up and things start working out; you must start from somewhere,” he said with disappointment on his face.For Wangaya, discipline, hard work and consistency have been key to his journey as described by his coach at Ligi Ndogo Iddi Badi.TACTICAL ANALYSIS: The form 2 student at Kenya U17 capable of playing anywhere on the pitch”We have been with him from a young age. He is a player with a lot of discipline, and that is what has helped him so far. He also has the urge to progress and would come to train on his own even when they did not have a scheduled training as a team. After games, he would also consult on areas to improve in,” said Iddi.Wangaya and his Rising Stars teammates created history by qualifying for the U-20 AFCON – the first by any Kenya junior side in history and are aiming even higher, qualification to the FIFA U-20 World Cup by reaching the semi-finals of AFCON.Kenya has been pooled in Group C alongside Morocco, Tunisia and Nigeria with their first match scheduled for Thursday 1 May 2025 against Morocco.
