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