State Of Kenyan Football

#POV The Dark Tunnel Of Kenyan Football ⚽ #FootballMadeMeSeries

In general, many Kenyans consider football as a hobby beginning at our doorsteps to the classroom rather than a carer that the younger generation should pursue in search of better livelihoods.

In most situations, football has been used as a tool to keep youth active and away from crime or improper behaviour; yet, the story is louder, particularly in some sectors of our society, than how it can lead to a profession through established channels.

Question ❓

📍 Here are some questions for you: who was the highest-paid player in the KWPL and KPL for the season 2024/2025?  What is the prize money for KWPL and KPL champions? How much did they spend in the entire season? And many more...

Footballers' sponsorship, earnings, and transfer fees are among the data available in industrialised economies, even if they are not fully disclosed to the public.  The ecosystem encourages many actors to pursue football as a profession and a business, attracting sponsors and investors.

In industrialised economies, players' sponsorship, earnings, and transfer fees are some of the details that can be obtained, albeit not in full. The ecosystem encourages many actors to pursue football as a career and a business while attracting both sponsors and investors.

📌 Statistics #POV

According to my own statistics, only one out of every ten parents believes their child can have a successful football career, particularly if they come from impoverished neighbourhoods. 

All that many of us have accomplished was not planned, but rather the result of numerous attempts and positioning, with only a few able to recount a great path and many carrying untold stories of pain, frustration, disappointment, and lack of income, lifetime injuries, to name a few.

📌 Playing Grounds

Now that Babado Field is on the verge of ultimate closure, I'm wondering how many neighbourhoods are under such threat. 

My advice to the football federation is to do an audit of the football fields in the country and determine what arrangements the FKF associated teams have with the field's owners, who include churches, individual, schools, and institutions.

In addition to mapping, they should collect data on the number of community fields available, which should then be gazetted through the correct channels with the government system in order to guarantee future of many generations.

There are significant gaps in Kenyan football, which can also be filled through adequate documentation and action performed by all parties, not just the federation. My question is if we know the stakeholders and what role they should play.

Quotes

📍 "Knowledge is power, only if you use it" - Wilson Masaka.

📍 "Only those who approach football as a career acquire a livelihood from it, whereas those who treat football as a hobby just enjoy playing the game." - Wilson Masaka

Incase you didn't know, building a football career needs discipline, perseverance, timing, and practice, to name a few.

📍+throughMylens /Consult

Book me for a masterclass session with your team to learn more about personal branding for footballers. We shall also discuss more on how to build a professional football career.

Do More / Be More / Be Different
wilsenx.blogspot.com

The Untold Stories Of Fathers

Happy Father's Day ❤️

If the word F.A.T.H.E.R  was an acronym, +throughMylens Bits & Pieces Life Series

3

F  - Focused 

A - Ambitious 

T - Tenacious 

H - Hardworking

E - Excellent

R - Resilience 

Credit ; Internet source.

We live in a society where the father is automatically assumed to be the head of the family, and in some cases, many fathers struggle to make ends meet, go through a series of struggles that are unique to them, and deal with uncertainty and empty promises of job opportunities on a daily basis, among other things.  

Not only that, but fathers are also supposed to be strong, never to whine, to carry the entire family's burden, to be there, to make sure that everyone in the family receives an equal amount of affection, etc.

Today I want to honour all the fathers who, despite everything they have to endure silently, have remained dedicated to their families, provided for their basic needs despite difficult financial circumstances, maintained their role as the family's head by upholding moral standards and values, love their family, and are especially present in family matters. 

Do More / Be More / Be Different 

wilsenx.blogspot.com

Dear Kenya Football Community

 #FootballMadeMeSeries #SemiZaMaja 

📍 Do you know there's a difference between sponsors and investors?

#POV

As long as we continue to seek league sponsors and other types of sponsorship, which I understand are equally important, our football development will progress slowly in general, affecting only a select few in the names of coaches, players, clubs, referees, federation, and the technical bench.  

One of the numerous reasons why football growth in Kenya is delayed is because we deal with sponsors as if they were investors at all levels of the game.

There is a significant difference between investors and sponsors. Here's what I mean.  

📌 Investors 

An investor will contribute their resources, enthusiasm, money, and so on after assessing the risks and identifying signs of development and a positive return on investment.

Investors conduct due diligence, evaluate long term government policies, risk analysis, and benefits analysis before becoming partners in a cause with which they hope to make an impact, while simultaneously seeking good returns on their investments in sustainable environment.

The Investor Mind  🧠 

An investor would rather put their resources into junior team development in the hopes of creating a career path for a future star who will be worth more money in transfer deals in great football clubs abroad than support, say, a top KPL team just to cover its administration and operations costs for the season.

📌 Sponsors 

They support a cause in which they share common interests over time.  Sustainability is not always a top consideration in this context, but rather they will support within a specific time frame to make an impact. In most circumstances, no return on investment is expected, particularly in financial terms.

Consider teams sponsored by well-known brands such as Tusker, Bandari, and KCB, to name a few.  In any event, we've seen this model with major companies where, anytime there is a change in policy, top management, or something similar, many clubs cease to exist the next season, even if they were doing well. Mumias F.C., Utalii F.C., and KRA are just a few examples.

📌 So, what should be done to attract and instill investor trust at all stages of the game?

The Landscape 

Football clubs and the federation are more likely to attract sponsors for a variety of reasons, including match broadcasting, league sponsorship, merchandise, support for operational and administrative expenditures, and material and equipment support, to name a few.  

On the other hand, attracting investors is another ball game that needs a different mindset and skill set. I know it's challenging and it involves many players, but it is possible if the government establish a conducive climate for investors to thrive based on a win-win partnership. 

The government should open up the space for more incentive that would attract more investors to come on board. 

💡 Here is what I'm thinking;

1. Create legislation to support tax waivers for those who invest in the sports, especially in the building of sports facilities and general infrastructure support. 

2. Deliberately create a system that would market top players to the overseas markets. More particularly built partnerships with football federations / associations, clubs and schools (colleges and universities).

3.  Create job opportunities and education opportunities around the football ecosystem. There are some important roles in the game that are quite silent, yet they are important. Provide more accurate data about the game and different prospects to consider as a sponsor, investor, player, coach, etc.

4.  Create sport funds for league champions. 

The government, through its various arms, can sponsor a bill in parliament that allows champions in specific top leagues and sports to be honoured or, better yet, partially funded in the next season of the game.

5. Build stronger partnerships with other sports stakeholders and corporations to ensure professionalism, transparency, financial accountability, and infrastructure development. 

I believe the government can do more, not only by working closer with federations during tournament preparations such as AFCON and CHAN, but also by making their support more visible in order to boost investor confidence as part of their core agenda even when no tournaments are planned.

Here is a question ❓ 

With Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania hosting both CHAN this year and the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2027, what are some of the low-hanging fruit for investors in the football ecosystem?

Credit author +throughMylens @top fans Wilson Masaka

The Footballer's Wish List

 Dark Tunnel Of Kenyan Football 🌑 

#FootballMadeMeSeries.

Norway Cup 1998, Brummundal 

Many great football players disappear in silence, despite their remarkable careers.  In general, the bulk, if not all, club attention is on winning games and titles, with players' welfare, particularly outside of football, being one of the least considered.  

Today, you can find a top player playing for a famous club, but once he or she has an injury, it becomes the end of the player's career.  On the other side, if the team terminates the player's contract, a number of players are unable to sign for other clubs for the next season.

📌 Anyway in general, here are the top 10 footballers' wish lists. #POV #MyTake

Key ✔️ Highly considered

         ❌ Less considered 

1. Play for top clubs locally and abroad✔️ 

2. Play in top league like the NSL and KPL ✔️ 

3. Earn good salary and other financial incentives ✔️ 

4. Become famous ✔️ 

5. Get a call up to the national team ✔️ 

6. Retire honourably (Life after football ) ❌

7. Earn good education and learn extra skill ❌

8. Build a career outside football ❌

9. Live a good and flamboyance life.✔️ 

10. Invest wisely for a rainy day ❌

What else can you add? 

Suggest what a player should contemplate outside of the football life cycle.

Let us help our brothers and sisters avoid going down the same 'rabbit hole' we did.

Do More / Be More / Be Different 

10 Areas You Should Consider Before Venturing into Self-employment.

World Of Work Series 

The Self Employment World

#SelfMadeSeries Bits and Pieces +throughMylens

I'm currently in my seventh year as a freelancer, youth consultant, trainer, photographer, and graphic designer.  I used to hear a lot of stories about self-employment, one of which was the flexibility and power to do whatever you wanted, when you wanted.  Having worked on both ends of the employment spectrum, both provide excellent and different experiences, with discipline playing an important role.

I normally urge my mentees to take all self-employment stories with a grain of salt because there are numerous things that people do not disclose. I believe that the coin has three sides, and that before making any decisions, both sides should be considered.

Based on my personal experience, here are  ten areas that are rarely discussed in many situations that you should consider before venturing into self-employment.

1. There are no leave days.  

2. Your network is the cornerstone. 

3. There is no set payday date unless you have contracts.  

4. Having more free time does not always imply freedom.

5. There are no holidays or weekends; each day is a workday.  

6. Your next move is extremely important. 

7. More than one talent or position. 

8. Upskilling is not an option.

9. Every coin matters, and financial awareness is essential (saving and investing).

10. As an expert, you might attract a large number of projects to your platter. So aspire to be one, because no matter what you're doing, someone else is doing it.

📌 I hope you've learnt something; invite me for a Skill Up master session to learn more with your team.  I am available in June.

Quotes 

📍"Don't write somebody off just yet, unless they are dead.  Just because you have achieved stardom does not imply that the rest are failures. Stay humble because it is only a matter of time before someone else takes over the title you once had." - Wilson Masaka, Youth Advocate and Social Entrepreneur.

📍"Born into a poor family does not guarantee that you will die poor, unless you believe it, do nothing, and let the assertion to become a reality." - Wilson Masaka, Youth Advocate and Social Entrepreneur.

Do More / Be More / Be Different 

wilsenx.blogspot.com

The Dark Tunnel Of Kenya Football

 Featured Post #POV Open Letter

🚨 The New Proposal For FKF Sub County League to be Reserved for U17 teams.

#FootballMadeMeSeries #FootballKE

I completely endorse the notion of reserving the Sub County League for U17 (youth development league), as I previously stated in one of the posts before the new planned structure was announced.

Imagine a 35 years old or older playing in the Sub County League; this to me means no future for incoming young stars because most teams compete to win and get promoted to the following levels, thus they tend to opt for more mature players to attain that goal.  In the same league, many players use it as an exit strategy; 'Wacha nicheze mahali hakuna pressure' is all they say.

I also believe that more restructuring is required if we are to close many of the gaps, beginning with grassroots football, which will eventually lead to us becoming one of the most admired rising football giants in the region and on a continental scale.

In addition to age caps in the Sub County League, the unlimited team registration system should also be abolished to ensure that we achieve more quality rather than quantity in terms of teams, which has resulted in teams playing only one match without return matches in some areas.

Let me ask, except from paying the federation's affiliation/league registration cost, what else do they look for before approving a team to join in the league? In my finding there are many teams at sub-county league that lack quality training, limited resources, no space to  train etc.

Teams are founded solely to compete in the lower league, with no plans for promotion to the next level league. For Kenyan football to thrive, we must shift away from portraying the game as a hobby and a means to pass the time and instead instill the culture that make real business and job opportunity, particularly for youth and anyone involved within the ecosystem.

We can't continue to only use football and sports in general to keep youth away from drug abuse, idleness, and crime; instead, we should also (the federation, investors, government, etc.) invest in the right resources and intentionally create opportunities for all to prosper.

Finally, I recommend that the federation form strategic alliances with private and public schools to allow federation-affiliated teams to train and play league games on school grounds.  As things are, teams struggle to make this arrangement work, particularly in areas where communal fields do not or no longer exist.  Football cannot expand at the appropriate rate without adequate or no infrastructure to enable such developments.

Author +throughMylens 📸 

Play Safe With Dignity - Resource Mobilization

 More Than Football, Football Made Me Series.

📍 We Did It ! 👏 ❤️ ⚽ 1st June 2025.

I'd like to thank my family, Esther Mazira, Anto, and Linda, for your support of the Wilsen initiative's (Wi) Play Safe with Dignity campaign (U10 to U15 boys and girls) from May to 1st June.

We had an insightful pep talk and managed to brand one boy's U12 team with Wilsen Initiative-branded football jerseys as part of the Do More, Be More, and Be Different campaign, which aims to provide the next generation of football stars with the skills and resources they need to build a career in football both on and off the field.

We also donated 5 football shoes and 5 footballs. By December, I hope to reach out to the nine U12 players who are on the waiting list for football shoes.  Remember that contributing even one ball to me in a year is a significant accomplishment because one ball can be played by more than ten players.

We still have numerous teams and players to assist in the Mathare North community.  I can't promise when this will happen, but my determination to accomplish more is unwavering, despite resource mobilisation obstacles and limited resources.

🚨 Next Call To Action 

The next call to action, IAM a Shero, She Can, will take place in November and December 2025 and will focus on the girls' teams.  All of this depends on the availability of support and resources.  Finally, I'd want to thank everyone who has supported past calls since the launch in the year 2000.

📌 Inspirational Quote 

"You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you." - John Bunyan

#givingbacktothecommunity #FootballMadeInMathareNorth

 #BeyondFootball

@Wilsen Initiative (Wi). 

#PlaySafeWithDignity

#FootballForHope

#SafeSpaces #SportsMentorship #FootballForDevelopment 

#PlaySafeWithDignity #Right2Play 

#theChampionInYou

#SelfMade

Do More / Be More / Be Different

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