Sports By Michelle Katami
VICTOR WANYAMA representing Kenyan football maestros
Victor Mugubi Wanyama is not a new name in local and international football circles. He is currently a central/defensive midfielder for Scottish Premier League giants Celtic FC. Before joining the club in July 2011, he played for Beerschot FC, a Belgiian Football Club. The sixfoot two Kenyan midfield maestro has already attracted so much attention from top football clubs like Manchester United and is bound to move to an even bigger club if he continues performing so well.
Background Popularly known as Mugabe, sports comes naturally for him. His is a purely sports-loving family. His father Noah Wekesa played football for AFC Leopards and Kenya in 1980 while his mother Mildred Ayiemba was a netball player. “I have always loved football since I was very young. Ofcourse it helps that my father played football too,” he explained. His elder brother Macdonald Mariga (currently playing for Parma FC and formerly of Inter Milan), was the first Kenyan ever to play in the Champions League. His other brothers Thomas and Sylvester are also Kenya Premier League football players (Sofapaka FC and Sony Sugar respectively). His sister Mercy Wanyama is basketball player. On growing up, he believes he was
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The mag azine for the children of Afric a
raised well, “My background was humble and my parents were strict.” Football in Kenya is however not very rosy. Like the majority of talented youthful football players, Wanyama started off by playing at their estate’s Country Club before moving to JMJ Academy. He made his Kenya National Team (Harambee Stars) debut in May 2007 at the age of fifteen in a friendly against Nigeria. The then Harambee Stars team coach Ghost Mulee acknowledged that he was indeed a rare natural talent. He also played in all of the six 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. His journey into European football began in late 2007 when he joined Helsingborg, a Swedish Football Club. In 2008, he was signed up by Beerschot, a Belglian Football Club. Life in Belgium was not easy for him as he had to put up with a family that could not speak English,