It is in no doubt that former Harambee Stars captain and midfielder Victor Wanyama will leave behind an illustrious legacy when he calls time to his football career. Wanyama who is arguably the best football export the country has ever produced has been an inspiration especially to upcoming footballers who proudly want to follow his footsteps. Rarely would a budding Kenyan player fail to throw in Wanyama’s name while revealing his role model or where he draws inspiration to make a career out of football, an indication that indeed Big Vic’s success story and discipline is one to associate with. However, with his career slowly meandering to its sunset years, a fact that remains disturbingly open for all to see is the longevity in which the Kenyan football circle is taking to produce the next Wanyama from the wide pool of players in the local leagues and beyond. 4 years ago today, @VictorWanyama scored *THAT* goal vs Liverpool! 😍🔥 pic.twitter.com/L21E3itdKN— The Spurs Web ⚪️ (@thespursweb) February 4, 2022 Ever since the combative midfielder made his debut in the coveted English Premier League in 2013, the country is yet to send the second Kenyan to the league which players die for to join although admittedly, the number of local players who have made it to the European lower tiers has been swelling in recent years. While the blame squarely lies on the shoulders of all the stakeholders who are involved in the game, a number of youngsters have from time to time pledged to summon their courage and talent and follow the footsteps of Wanyama. NKAARI: Let’s create Kenya’s EPL moment by telling our football storiesAmong them is the audacious Kariobangi Sharks and former national U20 attacking midfielder Enock Wanyama who habours the mighty dream of following the footsteps of his namesake, the hurdles to professional football notwithstanding. “I strongly believe that I will soar past the football heights that Victor has managed. His success story inspires me to keep working hard and his humility is something every other footballer out there wants to embrace. Although I have never had an opportunity to chat with him and perhaps gather some advice from him, I badly want to succeed just like him, ” he said. Just Kenyan U20 international Enoch Wanyama saying yes to his name #footke pic.twitter.com/ayhU2DRlVG— Footballers Of Our Time (@TransferMarktEA) April 6, 2021 The young Wanyama just like the former Southampton man share almost a similar football background as both had to contend with playing in dusty pitches in the formative years of their careers, a phenomenon synonymous with the majority of Kenyan stars out there and those who grace the local leagues. While the senior Wanyama began honing his talent in Muthurwa, the junior one fell for the game and started playing in the streets of Nkoroi in Rongai albeit for fun in his leisure time. Just like many athletes, Wanyama’s love for the game in his formative years was frowned upon by his mother Jennifer Angulu Omukoko who counseled him to stick to academics.However, the backing from his father James Wanyama Obiny a whom he described as an ardent follower of the game and a retired footballer kept him going.Goli la tatu kwa Kenya Ochieng amempikia Enock Wanyama dakika ya 85.FT’: Ethiopia 0-3 Kenya. #AzamSports1HD #CECAFAU20 #CECAFA #Kenya #Ethiopia #EthiopiaKenya pic.twitter.com/Ocew1WXtBu— Azam TV (@azamtvtz) November 23, 2020 Wanyama’s rare ability of using either legs in a comfortable way while dribbling and shooting saw him incorporated in Nkoroi FC who were plying their trade in the County League while a class eight pupil at the ACK Good Shepherd Academy Primary School.His talent had caught the eye of Ken Kaffiari, a grassroot based coach who handled Nkoroi FC by then and was handed an opportunity to showcase his talent in the league on matches played in weekends.”I consider myself lucky to have been born in Nkoroi, an area that had spacious fields where kids would play football and other games for fun. I got engrossed in football although my mum was against it as she wanted me to concentrate on education. However, my dad encouraged and supported me considering that he was a former footballer. I played football in our primary school team and got scouted by the local club head coach who gave me the chance to play in the county league, “he narrated.Wanyama christened as Mellow Boy thanks to his talent in music enrolled at Highway Secondary School and had an easy time in walking to the team that represented the institution in school games.The phone call that changed Ferdinand Omanyala’s life in 2021It is at the institution where he linked up with coach Kennedy Otieno who had been hired on a part time basis to help fine tune the players for inter-school matches.The 21-year labels Otieno as a God-sent gaffer who used his connections with South B United Sports Academy (SUSA) as he managed to convince his parents to allow him relocate from Nkoroi to the Nairobi South in order to allow him sharpen his skills at the academy and at same time commute to school.Wanyama avers that joining SUSA where he trained under the eye of John Mandela unlocked opportunities that he never imagined and shaped him for professional football as he returned to county league football where he continued to market himself.”It did not take me long to be included in the secondary school team after I impressed in inter-class matches. I was promoted to the rank of games captain when I was in form two, a year that I also joined South B Academy. I met coach Otieno in school who proposed to take me to the academy, a move that meant I had to relocate. I played for the academy in the county league during the holidays until I did my final exams, ” he said.Enock Wanyama destroying Sudan U20…another one to watchHis combination with Kenya’s best player Mwendwa and Ali washe is just exciting to watchNow lets hope Okumbi can make them play as a team🤣…cecafa u20 here we come @LotfiWada #KOT #Kenya #Sudan pic.twitter.com/bHT1QHEjih— Chuka chuks (@EvansMachuka) November 10, 2020 The qualities of the player displayed in school games and in the league had spread like wildfire but he concedes that stardom slowly crept in and consequently he fell out with SUSA honchos in 2018. Before he left the academy in the year in which he wrote his final exams, he had been summoned to the national U-17 team. The midfielder would rue his ill disciple as he was overlooked when Kenya through the Chapa Dimba na Safaricom initiative send team that comprised of players whom he had played with to England the same year. He however ironed out his differences with the academy and returned the following year in which he guided them to clinch the Nairobi Region finals and was drafted in the 17-member team that traveled to Spain. He was named the Nairobi Region’s Most Valuable Player (MVP).”Somehow fame got to me back in 2018 and ended up leaving South B in a disgraceful way. I later realized I was on the wrong, toned down and apologized and subsequently, I returned the following year. Unfortunately, I missed the trip to England but I was lucky to make it to the Kenyan team that played in Spain,” he continued. Stalled move to SwedenWanyama painfully narrated how he narrowly missed on the opportunity to turn professional Swedish side IK Viljan was apparently impressed with his quality and offered to sign him but could not complete the move due to visa related challenges and brief from Safaricom. According to the tournament’s assistant director Patrick Korir, there were express instructions from the giant telecommunications company to block the transfer of any player for fear of being caught in contractual rows with their parent clubs or institutions which had released them for the ten-day visit. Enock Wanyama of Chapa Dimba All-Stars in training at Cambrillis, SpainSALOU, Spain, May 13 – Rejuvenated by watching live the… – https://t.co/oS28l8fxeN pic.twitter.com/QWeA5Bl9gM— NetworkOfNews Kenya (@NofNews_Kenya) May 13, 2019 The company embraced the idea of interested suitors flying to Kenya where they would directly negotiate with the representatives of the players’ who had starred in the two editions, source for their visas and complete their acquisition the legal way. “Two of the players whom we took to Spain impressed the coaches who handled them for ten days. Wanyama was one of them but unfortunately the briefing we had and the nature of the visas could not allow him to fly to Sweden or even remain in Spain,” explained the Nairobi City Stars Chief Executive Officer. Failed move to Belgium Upon returning home from Spain, Wanyama was set to join City Stars who by then were desperately pursuing promotion to the top tier but instead he ended up at Ligi Ndogo on loan from SUSA.He says he rejected City Stars advances for Ligi Ndogo as the coaches who handled the Kenyan boys had recommended that the players be subjected to development programs before being ushered into competitive football. 🌟|STAR BOYSOur very own Andre Kalama and Enock Wanyama representing the Emerging Stars in a past assignment #TeamKenya#LigiNdogo#ComingOfAge pic.twitter.com/3tDsjUSUXM— LIGI NDOGO S.C. (@ligindogo) June 14, 2021 From his record, he says he played 14 matches for Ligi Ndogo who by then were under coach Samuel Machio and luckily they were invited for a tournament held at Gikambura grounds in late 2019.He revealed that he emerged the Most Valuable Player (MVP) courtesy of the four goals and three assists he managed, numbers which were enough to convince Don Nzila Pambu, a Belgian agent who followed the competition closely to take him abroad for his development. Pambu summoned Wanyama, AFC Leopards centre back Kayci Odhiambo, Kariobangi Sharks midfielder Reagan Odede and Gor Mahia’s Nicholas Omondi who had also starred in the tournament with an intention of taking them to the Democratic Republic of Congo for development training but both Omondi and Odede remained behind. Enock Wanyama receives instructions from Martinez Rodriguez Ismael, one of the LaLiga coaches, during their trainings at Futbol Salou,… – https://t.co/f7EnuYuzAl pic.twitter.com/Ojv4Nc4uoM— NetworkOfNews Kenya (@NofNews_Kenya) May 11, 2019 “When we traveled to Spain with the Chapa Dimba team, I got a deal but it could not go through due to the rules of the tournament. At first I was bitter with the organizers but Korir explained everything to me and I understood why the organizers could not allow me to cross to Sweden. I returned home a dejected man and joined Ligi Ndogo albeit on loan from SUSA,” he said.Wanyama alongside Kayci and the Pambu left for DR Congo in January 2020 for a three-month training in readiness for moves to Belgium’s lower tiers. But if his determination and skill on the football pitch are anything to go by, Enock Wanyama could soon be a household name.#ChapaDimbaNaSafaricom #SafaricomNewsroom https://t.co/JLejWaeL2h pic.twitter.com/84fWwFFT2a— Safaricom Newsroom (@SafaricomNews) August 6, 2019 Once again, the midfielder was unlucky as the advent of coronavirus and its spread to Kenya saw his move to Belgium collapse as the airspaces were locked after he returned home from Congo to work on the final touches on his switch to Brussels. He had to return to content with training at home as the government suspended sporting activities as a way of curbing the spread of the virus and would return to Ligi Ndogo when the restrictions were revised later in the year. Move to FK PohronieNever give up is the mantra the youngster believed in when he returned to the Ligi Ndogo camp after the government okayed the resumption of sporting activities behind closed doors. The decision by the national U20 head coach Stanley Okumbi to include him in the squad that finished fourth in the CECAFA tournament held in Arusha in December 2020 tagged along with a breakthrough in his career. Kenya U20 star Enock Wanyama is currently on trials at Slovakia top-tier side FK Pohronie #StarsAbroad pic.twitter.com/YlghlAUQOZ— Jeff Kinyanjui (@Nyash88) June 1, 2021 His performance in the competition saw him follow the path taken by former national U20 skipper Yusuf Mainge as Slovakia top tier side Pohronie invited him for trials which he attended in June last year. Mainge joined Pohronie in July 2019 on a season-long loan deal from AFC Leopards but failed to nail down a permanent deal with the club. The player who could not hide his admiration for Brazilian forward Neymar says he punched above his weight during the trials but the unceremonious sacking of coach Jan Kamenik came at a time when he was sniffing the contract. Additionally, he rued the decision by the club to size down the number of foreigners for his failed permanent transfer to the club. “I won the move to Slovakia courtesy of the performances I depicted with the U20 team in Arusha. I attended trials in June last year and passed. The team took care of my airfare, accommodation, meals and were keen on signing me on a permanent basis. Unfortunately, the coach who wanted my services was shown the door at a time when I was nearing the first team. The team also resolved to reduce the number of foreigners and hence I had to return home, ” he narrated. Transfer to Kariobangi Sharks When Wanyama jetted back to the country from Slovakia, coach Okumbi summoned him to the national U23 team for the CECAFA tournament held in Ethiopia in July last year but admittedly, he could not make to the final team on fitness grounds.Okumbi unsuccessfully tried to give him another platform to express himself as his move to Posta Rangers in last year’s transfer window hit a snag at the eleventh hour.He however took a four-year long contract at Kariobangi Sharks in August last year and made his top flight bow in October a move which he noted helped him settle, work on his fitness, work on the weak areas the Pohronie bench identified and re-strategize in as far as chasing is dream was concerned. Representing the city under the sun in the #ChapaDimbaNaSafaricom all-star boys’ team is Enock Wanyama and Lewis Bandi. Going to LaLiga has created an opportunity for them to become the next generation of Kenya’s best football players. #NaweKilaWakati #TwendeLaLiga @LaLiga pic.twitter.com/ufLIUcBj6Q— Safaricom PLC (@SafaricomPLC) May 8, 2019 “After the move to Pohronie collapsed, I returned home but I did not lose hope in making it to professional football. I was called to the U23 team but the bench wasn’t satisfied with my fitness levels considering that I had been out of action for some weeks. Offers started to flock on my table and after deliberations with my family, I settled for Sharks, a team that I felt will give me the platform to express myself in our league and prepare me adequately for European football,” he said.Wanyama, who maintains that he is firmly in the race to pick from where Victor will leave, says he has been working on his ability to track back and help in defending, an area he admits he has been falling short. The youngster is also eyeing a call up to the national U23 and the senior team and sooner than later return to Europe and chase his dream. Journey to music If you have been privileged to watch Wanyama, you can attest that he is rhythmic when dribbling past opponents, creating scoring chances and putting the ball past the net. Away from the pitch his music skills are worth composing a song for as he is metrical when playing the guitar, piano and drums and he does exceptionally well behind the microphone. Wanyama disclosed his father who was pastor at Glory Revival Church located in Kiserian literally dragged him to music as he taught him how to play various instruments which were housed in their apartment on week days. Enock Wanyama from South B United is the #ChapaDimbaNaSafaricom Nairobi Region MVP. pic.twitter.com/A7VaRBvvGs— MM (@mercymurugi) April 28, 2019 He further revealed that his skill in playing the guitar saw Highway Secondary School bestow him the responsibility to take care of the institution’s instruments as well as train other students.”Music has a special place in my heart just like football. I was introduced to music by Dad when I was young and within a short time I developed interest in singing and playing instruments. Singing helps me unwind and relieve pressure and hopefully in future I will release my first hit,” he said.BIOName: Enock Brian WanyamaNickname: Mellow Boy JrDate of birth: 22/09/2001Agency: Godson Sports ManagementPrimary School: ACK Good Shepherd AcademySecondary School: Highway Secondary SchoolBest EPL Team: Manchester UnitedRole Models: Victor Wanyama and Ayub TimbeFootball idol: NeymarWeight: 66.6 KGSHeight: 5’6Clubs played for: Nkoroi FC, South B Academy, Ligi Ndogo (On loan), FK Pohronie and Kariobangi SharksFavourite Meal: Chapati and chicken
