Schoolboys Agutu, Adim in Bandari’s squad for new season
Isaac Ochieng' Agutu is one of the schoolboys who have made Bandari's 24-man team for the upcoming season after successful week-long trials at the KPA Mbaraki Sports club. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
- Bandari coach Bernard Mwalala is happy with the youngsters and believes the youngsters have what it takes to play a key role in the club in future
- The two, Adim and Agutu, have however been given permission to complete their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examinations (KCSE) before linking up with the rest of the squad
- The 17-year-old Adim from Jua Kali Village attracted special praise from his secondary school games master Isaac Mogere and Coast Secondary Schools Sports Association treasurer Twaha Mwatsahu
Schoolboys Isaac Ochieng Agutu and Issa Adim have made Bandari's 24-man team for the upcoming season after successful week-long trials at the KPA Mbaraki Sports club last week.
The two, Adim of Garsen High School in Tana River County and Agutu, formerly of Upper Hill High School and Embakasi Garrison Secondary in Nairobi, have however been given permission to complete their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examinations (KCSE) before linking up with the rest of the squad.
Bandari coach Bernard Mwalala is happy with the youngsters and believes the youngsters have what it takes to play a key role in the club in future.
Mwalala said Agutu, who is the current top scorer in Left Foot League in Nairobi and Adim, who was top scorer in 2018 Coast Secondary Schools Sports Association (CSSSA) football championships in Kwale and last year’s games in Kilifi, impressed during the trials.
“Agutu and Adim are talented youngsters and will be great assets not only for Bandari as a club but also for national team Harambee Stars very soon. They will only need some polishing, and they will be good to go,"Mwalala, who guided Bandari to second place finish in the ended Kenyan Premier League season, said of the youngsters.
Like Adim, Agutu has blistering pace and eye for goals. He also dominated 100 metres and 200m races in Nairobi County secondary schools athletics championships and has been scoring for his team in most matches he has played in the Left Foot League.
“I am encouraged as a coach that trials conducted here helped identify such talent. There are several talented youngsters whose skill is yet to be tapped. I will continue concentrating on nurturing youth which is the backbone of any team,” Mwalala added.
The 17-year-old Adim from Jua Kali Village, who became the first player from Tana River to have joined Bandari, attracted special praise from his secondary school games master Isaac Mogere and Coast Secondary Schools Sports Association treasurer Twaha Mwatsahu.
Mwatsahu said: “On behalf of the Kenya Secondary School’s Sports Association, I thank Bandari for attending our games to tap talent. This will encourage other students to take sports seriously.”
Full list of the players selected during the trials most of whom will be deployed to the youth team:
Omar Swaleh, Mwinyi Juma, Omar Mussa, Athman Bori, Sedrick Asman, Amin Mwachozi, Ahmed Abdalla, Abdulmajid Hussein,Issac Ochieng Agutu, Dennis Katama, Hussein Rashid, Boniface Safari, Sadiki Hamisi, Wahab Fadhili Dafala, Joseph Otieno, Moses Dida, Chuma Mohamed, Sammy Mwendwa, Tony Obare, Mohamed Said, Issa Adim, Jackson Ekwam, Samson Otieno, Cleophus Kirwa.
