Former Harambee Stars captain Dennis Oliech has challenged football stakeholders to make player welfare a top priority, arguing that improved salaries and stronger investment in grassroots football are essential if Kenya is to produce the next generation of stars.
Speaking during a recent football engagement, Oliech said many talented players continue to see their careers stall because of poor remuneration and inadequate support, urging corporate sponsors to play a bigger role in strengthening the local game.
“For our young upcoming and even current footballers to have better careers, we need to support them starting locally. We have big corporates that can sponsor our clubs and players so that footballers can earn better salaries,” said Oliech.
The former Auxerre striker believes improved financial security would not only motivate players but also raise the overall quality of competition in the FKF Premier League by reducing the urge to seek opportunities abroad at the earliest chance.
“First, let the players’ salaries be improved and once it is improved I believe playing will be even easy for these players and the game will also gain more momentum. This means players will be attracted to stay in our Kenyan league rather than looking for greener pastures elsewhere,” he added.
Beyond the professional game, Oliech stressed that Kenya’s long-term football success depends on sustained investment at the grassroots, where many promising players often miss out on opportunities because of inadequate facilities and limited resources.
“We should support these young players starting from the grassroots levels where we have so many good talents, by giving them the resources and better playing conditions. We will not only be building them as players but also building a good team for the future,” he added.
The former national team skipper also urged young footballers to embrace discipline, saying talent alone is never enough to sustain a successful career.
“My message to the young sportsmen and women is that as you aspire to achieve great in this field, you must never forget that it is only possible through discipline which reflects on how you turn up to your training sessions and relation with other. That is how you learn and become better,” he noted.
While calling for further reforms, Oliech acknowledged that the environment for Kenyan footballers has improved compared to the period when he represented the national team.
He credited successive Football Kenya Federation administrations for making progress in supporting Harambee Stars.
“When I try to look at the current generation status in terms of the support and resources they get, they are much luckier than us. I think Nick Mwendwa during his time and also currently Hussein Mohammed, they have made some big improvements to how the national team is facilitated,” he said.
His remarks come as discussions continue on reforms aimed at improving the development and competitiveness of Kenyan football.
