ALLSTARS CAMP OPENS: SportPesa team camp launched ahead of Hull City friendly

Hull City Coach Andrew Stead(L) with FKF President Nick Mwendwa(R) and SportPesa CEO Ronald Karauri(C) addresses a press conference during the Launch of SportPesa AllStars team camp at Kasarani Stadium on Tuesday 17/01/17. The team will play Hull City in a friendly match in February.PHOTO:BONIFACE OKENDO

The process to pick footballers for a Kenya Select side that will play a friendly match against English Premier League’s Hull City kicked off at Kasarani Stadium yesterday.

The select side, dubbed SportPesa AllStars, will have 18 Kenyan footballers whittled down from the current pool of 47, who were selected from 16 clubs that participated in the SportPesa-sponsored Kenyan Premier League.

Before they make the final 18, and the trip to Hull City for the February 27 tie, the players will for two weeks be under the care of Dean Windass, a Hull City legend who scored 77 goals for the club and Terry Boyle a professional development coach.

Two more coaches, Richard O’Donnell and Daniel O’Keeffe will join the players in the second week of the training so as to select the final 18.

In November last year, a team of Hull City coaches were in the country for two weeks during which they toured Premier League team training sessions, watched a number of matches and selected the 47 players, who joined the training camp yesterday.

Ronald Karauri, the SportPesa Chief Executive Officer, said this initiative is part of the betting firm’s long term commitment of not only supporting local football, but also providing a platform for Kenyan players to be exposed to the lucrative European market.

“In July 2016, SportPesa entered a three-year sponsorship deal with Hull City FC; a deal that saw SportPesa become the club’s shirt sponsor.

“As part of the sponsorship, the Hull City side agreed to play friendly matches with a Kenyan team,” Karauri said at the launch of the training camp yesterday.

The event was attended by Football Kenya Federation president Nick Mwendwa, KPL CEO Jack Oguda and Andrew Stead, a Hull City Partnership Executive.

Mwendwa told Kenyan footballers that they should go about their careers knowing that they will get all the support from the federation.

“Our job at FKF is to ensure that you get a chance to further your careers and we hope that what you learn during the training camp here and in Hull for those who will make the final 18, will be beneficial to your careers,” Mwendwa told the 47 footballers.

“The experience at the camp and in Hull City will be good for you and will definitely change your mentality towards professional football,” he added.

The 47 players include four goal keepers, 11 defenders, 14 midfielders and 18 strikers.

The highest number of players, eight, are picked from the 2016 KPL champions Tusker, with Posta Rangers contributing six and Gor Mahia and Western Stima each having five players. Ulinzi All Stars and Chemelil Sugar each contributed four while Sofapaka, Bandari, Muhoroni Youth, AFC Leopards, Thika United, KK Homeboyz and Mathare United contributed two players, each. Only one player, Joshua Otieno is from Sony Sugar.

Karauri said SportPesa is committed to supporting sustainable football development in Kenya, and will continue to leverage on their relationship with their overseas partners to ensure that local players, coaches and football administrators benefit from such partnerships.