Golden era's Oyugi still nurturing football talent in Kenya

Former Gor Mahia and Harambee Stars defender John Bob Oyugi during the interview. PHOTO | PAULINE ONGAJI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • His involvement in football development for the youth eared him an honorary degree from Lindsey Wilson University.
  • While in the US he was the head coach of Wings Soccer Club in Minnesota, a post he held for close to four years.

For the twelve years, Bob Oyugi lit the local football scene but despite never fulfilling his childhood dream of playing professional football, the robust defender didn't stop playing a part in nurturing young talent.

The former Gor Mahia defender was forced to hang his boots at 29 - a ripe age for a footballer - way back in 1992. But this didn't stop him from continuing to play a role in the development of Kenyan football, both as a coach and an instructor at all levels.

Oyugi founded the Edu Sports Academy in 1998 a project that has seen quite a number of footballers get scholarships for higher studies in the US.

The former Stars defender - who led Gor Mahia to its 11th league title in 1993 as a coach - is the director of coaching and player development for the academy whose objective is to develop both the academic and athletic talents of young men and women by offering study and athletic scholarships.

“I started this program back in 1998 in conjunction with a number of universities in the US, a project that involved 26 states including Kentucky, Missouri, Michigan, Minneapolis and Indiana,” he explains.

Many soccer stars have benefited from the program since its inception including former Harambee Stars forward Bonaventure Maruti - who got a scholarship to study at the University of Alabama - Paul Oyugi, Erick ‘Cantona’ Ochieng, Edwin Odipo and current Harambee Stars and Sporting Kansas City defender Lawrence Olum just but to name a few.

Harambee Stars defender Lawrence Olum during the warm-up before their Africa Cup of Nations preliminary stage qualifiers match against Comoros at Nyayo Stadium up on May 18, 2014. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO

FOOTBALL CAREER

His involvement in football development for the youth earned him an honorary degree from Lindsey Wilson University.

As a soccer player he had a chance to feature in the national under 17 and under 20 teams. He also played for Kenyan Premier League giants Gor Mahia and the defunct Re-Union. Oyugi was a mainstay in Harambee Stars defence in his days.

And as a coach he prides in having coached KTM, currently known as Thika United. “I also coached Gor Mahia between 1991 and 1993, before leaving for America where I coached different colleges and clubs," the soft spoken tactician told Nation Sport during an interview.

While in the US he was the head coach of Wings Soccer Club in Minnesota, a post he held for close to four years.

On the lacklustre performance by the national team Harambee Stars and the below par outing of the African representatives at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Oyugi says the blame lies squarely on footballers managers in all countries.

“For instance here in Kenya there is a problem when it comes to ensuring continuity and keeping records, a challenge that has proved to be a hard nut to crack when it comes to maintaining a strong team," he adds.