The Most Popular Kenyan Football Players in 2024

Across the continent, football is a very popular sport. In 2023 alone, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) brought in well over $125 million. 

Not only does Kenya produce many of Africa’s best long-distance runners, it also has a substantial share of football stars. Many Kenyan football players have earned a reputation on national and international stages.

As the country begins preparing for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, fans are eager to know which players will make the lord. In line with this anticipation, the most famous Kenyan players are detailed in this article. Take a look.

Top Kenyan Football Players in 2024

This list is compiled based on the overall performance of the players and their contribution to Kenyan soccer. Here’s a resume of their career:

• Alwyn Tera was born in January 1997. For the Armenian Premier League team Ararat-Armenia, he presently plays midfield. He was a member of the UEFA Europa League squad, Saburtalo. Tera holds the positions of holding midfielder, deep-lying playmaker, advanced playmaker, and ball-winning midfielder quite well. 
• Ayub Timbe started his professional career at Ligi Ndogo in 2004. Born in September 1992, Timbe played at JMG Academy and Anderlecht. He has also played for Genk, Lierse, Beijing Renhe, Reading, Vissel Kobe, Buriram United, and Sabail FK in Azerbaijan. 
• Brian Mandela is a “defense machine.” Mandela, who was born in May 1994, began his career in Kenyan soccer. He first joined Posta Rangers and later moved to South Africa, where he was employed by Santos, Maritzburg United, and Mamelodi Sundowns. He presently plays for the Royal Eagles.
• Collins Sichenje was born in September 2003. He plays defence for AIK in the Allsvenskan league in Sweden. He played for KuPS in the UEFA Europa League and the AFC Leopards in the Kenya Premier League. Prior to rejoining the AFC Leopards and subsequently AIK in Sweden, Sichenje also had a brief stint as a player for PAOK B. Sichenje received an invitation to the Kenya national team in 2020, and he played his first game for the country in 2021.
• Eric ‘Marcelo’ Ouma began his football career at the Future Stars Soccer Academy. Marcelo, who was born in September 1996, attended the Future Stars Soccer Academy before joining the Kakamega High School squad. Marcelo joined Gor Mahia following his ‘O’ level, and then transferred to the Swedish AIK and the Georgian teams Kolkheti Poti. He was part of the Kenyan national team at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations
• Eric Johana Omondi was born in August 1994. Omondi’s flexibility as an attacker or winger is well recognised. He has played for Mathare United, IF Brommapojkarna, F.C. Vasalunds IF, UTA Arad, and Muangthong United.
• Jonah Ayunga was born in May 1997, and he is an important centre forward. Ayunga has played in many leagues with multiple teams like Bristol Rovers, Dorchester Town, Sutton United, Havant & Waterlooville, Morecambe, and St. Mirren.
• Joseph Okumu was born in May 1997. Apart from representing his nation, Okumu plays defence for Stade de Reims. AFC Ann Arbour, Real Monarchs, AA Gent, IF Elfsborg, Stade de Reims, Free State Stars, and Chemelil Sugar are just a few of the renowned clubs for which he has played.
• Michael Olunga is one player whose attendance you can wager on. If there is ever such a bet on 1xBet, you should immediately head to the  platform’s official website to wager on Olunga representing his country. Olunga is a striker with Al-Duhail in the Qatar Stars League and captain of the Kenyan national team. He was born in March 1994. Tusker FC and Gor Mahia were the next teams Olunga played for after starting out in the Nairobi County League with Liberty Sports Academy. A number of teams have featured him on loan: Girona FC; Djurgården; Kashiwa Reysol; Guizhou Hengfeng Zhicheng; and currently Al-Duhail. 
• Victor Wanyama was born in June 1991. His work as a defensive midfielder for both the Kenya national team and CF Montréal in Major League Soccer made him the face of several sports apps. Wanyama’s career started at AFC Leopards and the Nairobi City Stars. Following that, he transferred to Celtic, an Allsvenskan team, and made history by being the first Kenyan player to score in the UEFA Champions League. He then played for Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, CF Montréal since 2020.

Final Thoughts

The national team’s coach could reassure Kenyans that the team would perform better at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2026 if he selects a squad that contains at least half of the best players mentioned in this article. While you root for the Harambee Stars, you can project the results of each game and profit financially. To place a bet, all you need to do is visit a reliable mobile betting app like 1xBet Kenya. Best wishes!