Okwemba calls for investment in youth to spur performance of junior teams

Former AFC Leopards midfielder Charles Okwemba wants football stakeholders to invest in the youthful players to make them competitive at the international stage.

Okwemba’s call comes days after Kenya's Rising Stars were knocked out of the AFCON U20 tournament in Egypt without a single win after losing to Morocco and Tunisia and drawing 2-2 with Nigeria to finish bottom of their group.

“We are still lagging behind as far as competing at the highest level is concerned. It is strictly because we have not invested enough in the past, when it comes to youth development.

But our current FKF president Hussein Mohamed is fully aware of this and I am fully confident he will address this,” Okwemba said.

According to Okwemba who also turned out for Vihiga United FC at the formative days of his career, grassroots football should be given more emphasis, to help nurture talent from an early age.

“We need to go back and make sure that our structures are put in place,” he explained.  “I have said all these things all along, that we have no choice and no escape route but to get it right in our football structures.”

“Right from the grassroots and from the early ages. These eight, nine year olds, thirteen and fifteen year-old players going forward must go through the required process. Why? Because football has no shortcut,” Okwemba reflected.

He also wants the football bosses, to restrategise if the spark is to be restored.