16-year-old Otieno handed extended Hull stay

As the dust settles on what was a landmark clash between a Kenyan team and an English Premier League select side, Joshua Otieno, the youngest representative of the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) All Stars continues his journey.

The KPL All Stars and Harambee Stars First Coach was on the receiving end of social media furor when he handed the 16-year-old barely seconds against the Hull City Select XI during Monday night’s exhibition match at the KCOM Stadium where the hosts prevailed 2-1.

But the youngster, a form three student at Kakamega High School, was handed a lifeline to showcase his abilities when the Hull administration invited him to train with club’s U18s to extend his UK experience.

Otieno, who plays on the offensive right position and can also play deep as a defensive midfielder arrived in the UK only 24 hours before the All Stars took to the field at the KCOM following a glitch in travel arrangements, will remain at the East Yorkshire base until Sunday.

His extended stay is due to the intervention of the Tigers’ Academy who felt the ‘exciting’ midfielder needed extra experience with the club’s youngsters who showed incredible composure to eke out the win.

The teenager who plays for Sony Sugar FC was a surprise inclusion in the team after impressing Hull Academy coaches Richard Naylor and Kris Blakeston, when they visited the KPL club’s training base in Awendo.

Preparations for the encounter in the UK began in November month when two of the Tigers’ coaches visited Kenya on a scouting mission to pick out the country’s top football talent.

Tasked with selecting 50 players to attend a special training camp, the English duo took in international fixtures against Mozambique and Liberia, league matches and training sessions at the country’s top clubs.

They later took charge of a training camp early in the New Year to pick out the top 16 players who will went on to form the All Stars squad.