Kadenge appointed the First Kenya Football Ambassador

Legendary former Kenyan international striker, Joe Kadenge, is among four former national team players who have been appointed to serve special roles in the local football federation.

Kadenge of the “Kadenge na mpira” fame has been appointed the First Kenya Football Ambassador in in recognition of his long contribution to the game.

Football Kenya Federation,FKF also named Allan Thigo, Noah Wanyama and Ali Mbarak as Honorary members. FKF chairman, Sam Nyamweya said, Kadenge in his new role will be travelling frequently with the national teams for motivation.

Arguably the best striker the country has ever produced, Kadenge played for the defunct Maragoli United and Abaluhya United (now AFC Leopards) in the 1960s and 70s and also the national football team Harambee Stars.

In 2010, Kadenge was the only player from the East and Central Africa who was invited by Fifa to grace the opening ceremony of the World Cup finals in South Africa.

Three of his son are chips off the old block having played active football in the Kenyan league.One them, Oscar Kadenge, currently plays for Leopards. Noah Wanyama, a former Leopards and Harambee Stars player, has in recent years been in the limelight following the immense success of his two sons, MacDonald Mariga and Victor Wanyama.

Mariga plies his trade for Italian Serie A side Parma, while Wanyama is just fresh from clinching the Scottish Premier League trophy with Celtic of Glasgow on his debut season.

Thigo is a former Gor Mahia great who helped the club reach the finals of the 1979 African Cup of Winners Cup having launched his career with Kisumu Hot Stars in the 1960s.

During his playing days, Thigo made several appearances for the Harambee Stars and was part of the Kenyan squad to the1972 African Cup of Nations tournament in Cameroon.

Mbaraka, a leading Mombasa sports administrator and businessman, recently sponsored a series of matches between Kenyan ex-internationals and their Tanzanian counterparts in Mombasa and Malindi.

Nesta Kizito

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