Former Harambee Stars coach Jacob “Ghost” Mulee has challenged team in the top tier and National Super League to scout talent in the grassroots.
Mulee was speaking on Wednesday after presenting Ongata Senior with the trophy after they won the First Edition of Ongata School Football Tournament.
Mulee, who left his role as Stars coach last month, was accompanied by Kenya Under 20 national football team coach Hamisi Mohammed.
Ongata Senior edged out South C FC 3-0 in an entertaining final at the school grounds.
Phabian Sheldon, Edmond Thomas put Ongata Senior ahead in the first half while Charles Odhiambo added the third.
Following the victory, Ongata Senior was awarded Sh20,000 cash prize while South C got Sh 10,000 in the tournament graced by six teams.
Talented youngster Boss Mulinge of Ongata Senior was voted the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
Other teams which participated in the tournament were Wazito Youth, Liberty Academy, Ongata Senior School Alumni and True Talents FC.
Mulee said he was blown away by the talents on display during the tournament and urged Football Kenya Federation to develop a frame work of talents identification at the grassroots.
Mulee added that nurturing talents through such competitions will form an elaborate process of building a formidable Under 17, Under 20 and Under 23 sides which can easily be intergrated into the senior national team.
His sentiments were echoed by Hamisi who was among the coaches who benefitted from training offered to young coaches by English Premier League side Arsenal.
The Future Stars programme was set up by WorldRemit and Arsenal to acknowledge and reward the valuable contribution of youth coaches to their local communities.
Ongata Academy have also benefitted from Nation Media Group’s Newspaper in Education Programme (NIE). The school has incorporated NMG’s newspapers – Daily Nation, Taifa Leo and Business Daily – into its teaching programmes and is one of the top performing schools in the country. BY DAILY NATION