Football

Teenage Mandera goalkeeper Dahid Abdikadir flies with CS Namwamba to Kisumu for CECAFA U-18 Championship

Sports CS Ababu Namwamba and teenage goalkeeper Dahir Abdikadir board a plane to Kisumu for the CECAFA U-18 Championships (Photo: Min. of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy & Sports/Twitter)

By Sports Reporter | Saturday, November 25, 2023

The form two student from St. Anthonys Boys High School, Kitale, is the product of a thorough scouting network dispatched by the Ministry, which comprised former International players including Allan Wanga, Musa Otieno, Winna Shilavula and Denis Onyango.

17-year-old goalkeeper Dahid Abdikadir from Bula Pesa, Mandera, has a big reason to smile as he bagged the chance to fly to Kisumu County alongside Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba.

Dahid will proudly represent Kenya as part of the Junior Stars squad in the Council of East and Central Africa Football Association (Cecafa) Under-18 championships at Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Kisumu.

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The form two student from St. Anthonys Boys High School, Kitale, is the product of a thorough scouting network dispatched by the Ministry, which comprised former International players including Allan Wanga, Musa Otieno, Winna Shilavula and Denis Onyango.

Junior Stars kick off against Sudan at 3pm today.

"Kenya's got talent, every corner, every angle. Identifying, Nurturing and Monetising these talents of our youth is the very essence of Talanta Hela, and the story of Dahir Abdikadir Abdulahi is such a beautiful manifestation of exactly that. I am thrilled by the abundance of talents flowing out of the #TalantaHela Inter-County Football Tournament," Namwamba posted on X.

Abdikadir benefitted from a robust scouting network dispatched by the Ministry, (Photo: Min. of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy & Sports/Twitter)

Fans are eager to witness the performance of teenage sensation Aldrine Kibet, the young talent behind St Anthony’s Boys Kitale’s title victory in the Kenya Secondary School Sports Association (KSSSA) back in August. Hopes are high that Kibet will inspire the squad, along with other notable players like Kisumu Day star Duncan Omalla (brother to Gor Mahia and Harambee Stars striker Benson Omalla), Kariobangi Sharks’ Stanley Wilson and Sigmun Maina, Sofapaka’s Baron Ochieng, Ulinzi Stars' Lucas Maina, and Kakamega Homeboyz’s Ibrahim Wanzala.

Joining the team from Division One sides are Tyron Kariuki, Manzur Suleiman and Joseph Bate.

Kenya is in Group A alongside Somalia, Rwanda, Sudan, and Djibouti. The action-packed matches for Group A will take place at the Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Kisumu, while Group B matches are set to unfold at the Bukhungu Stadium in Kakamega.

Entry to the stadium will be free of charge. The winners of each group will advance to face the runners-up in the next round, leading up to the semifinals scheduled for December 5, 2023.

CECAFA U18 groups:

Group A: Kenya, Somalia, Rwanda, Sudan

Group B: Tanzania, Zanzibar, South Sudan, Uganda