Football

Future stars shine bright in Talanta Hela: CS Ababu Namwamba upbeat on Kenyan talent

Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Sports Ababu Namwamba.. (Photo: Tony KARUMBA/AFP)

By Sports Reporter | Monday, January 1, 2024

The teams, consisting of 50 U-17 players (25 boys and 25 girls) and 40 U-20 players (20 boys and 20 girls), were selected after the conclusion of the tournament finals on Jamhuri Day, December 12, 2023.

Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba is optimistic about the future of Kenyan football, expressing his enthusiasm for the emerging talents showcased in the Talanta Hela U19 Inter-County football tournament.

This comes as Kenya prepares for the MICFootball - International Young Football Tournament in Spain next spring.

Keep reading

90 promising young talents, identified by Kenyan football legends such as Tusker coach Robert Matano, Kenya Police assistant Salim Babu, and former Harambee Stars coach Stanley Okumbi, have been chosen for the Kenya U17 and U20 teams.

CS Namwamba expressed his delight at the rapid success of the talent progression pipeline established from the school ecosystem through the Talanta Hela U19 Inter-County Football Tournament.

"I am delighted that the talent progression pipeline we have established right from the school ecosystem through the Talanta Hela U19 Inter-County Football Tournament is bearing fruits, even faster than anticipated," he stated.

National U17 and U20 boys and girls Teams, all set to grow and fly our national flag. This is the ultimate destination for our deliberate, intentional and structured effort to identify, nurture and monetise talents through the #TalantaHela flagship.
Am delighted that the talent… pic.twitter.com/cLB2EYwhKw

— Hon Ababu-Namwamba, EGH🇰🇪 (@AbabuNamwamba) December 31, 2023

The teams, consisting of 50 U-17 players (25 boys and 25 girls) and 40 U-20 players (20 boys and 20 girls), were selected after the tournament finals on Jamhuri Day, December 12, 2023.

CS Namwamba envisions a promising future for Kenyan football, emphasizing the success of the talent progression pipeline through the Talanta Hela initiative. "We have teams that genuinely reflect the face of Kenya, identified fairly, openly, and competitively from the grassroots across the length and breadth of our country, from Todonyang in the North to Loitoktok in the South, Bamba in the East to Budalangi in the West. Bottom-Up," he shared through a Twitter post.

The selected teams are set for an elite training camp and participation in the MICFootball - International Young Football Tournament in Spain next spring. The ultimate goal is to build a formidable Harambee Stars team for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which Kenya is co-hosting, and the 2030 World Cup.