Kenya’s Mwarome promoted to Bayern reserve side

Kenyan defensive midfielder Bernard Mwarome has been promoted from Bayern Munich’s U19 side to the reserve team for the 2016/17 season.

While playing in Europe it’s every footballer’s dream, but few do get the chance to showcase their talent, Mwarome is slowly but surely getting to the top through sheer hard work and determination.

National team Harambee Stars assistant coach Musa Otieno has hailed the player after making the move that sees him on the throes of the senior squad of the Bundesliga champions who are also three-time European titleholders.

The former long-serving Stars captain noted success in football comes from setting well managed structures like the ones that have seen Mwarome’s steady rise.

“It’s all about football structures and youth development. I’m amazed to learn that there is a Kenyan in Bayern Munich youth team, but it’s a big plus for us because playing for Bayern Munich at any level shows that Mwarome is a big player.

“There is talent in Kenya but we do not have that serious development structures from the lower stages. The success stories of Origi and Mwarome explain it all,” the retired centre-back added.

Otieno understands the German football system well since he was taken to Stuttgart by the late Reinhard Fabisch. He says that the culture of football in Europe is totally different from the one in Kenya.

“There is a football culture in Germany and Europe as a whole that even children get used to and they take the sport serious as opposed to what we are seeing in our country Kenya.

“The players in those nations are made to understand at a very early age that discipline and hard work bring good results,” he emphasised.

If he proves himself in the reserve team next season, chances are high that he will ease in to the senior Munich side.

Like the Belgian Divock Origi who has Kenyan roots and now plays for Liverpool in the English Premier League, another youngster, Mwarome is coming through the ranks of one of the biggest football clubs in the world that won the German league and cup double last season.

Born in Germany, Bernard has been in the Bayern Munich’s Under 19 side from July 2014. Before signing a two-year contract with the U-19 Bayern’s side coached by Holger Seitz, the upcoming combative midfielder was playing for the club’s U-17 team until he was promoted.

Mwarome is one of six players that earned the promotion to the senior team that included  center back Alexander Gschwend, wingers Marcel Leib and Michael Strein, together with attacking midfielders Valentin Micheli and Bastian Grahovac.

In the 2012/13 season, Mwarome managed 21 games for Bayern U17 in the league, scoring two goals and in the following season he featured in 13 games for the same team.

Season 2015/2016 Mwarome who turns 19 on the June 17 was sidelined by a cruciate ligament injury he sustained during the off-season but there is a steady improvement.

Now he will be under the watchful eye of the 40 year old coach Heiko Vogel at the Bayern Munich II team.

Vogel grew up in Wachenheim and played football for his local clubs TuS Wachenheim and FC 08 Hassloch. Later he played for SV Edenkoben.

Mwarome now joins several players with Kenyan origin playing in major leagues like Victor Wanyama (Southampton), Origi (Liverpool), McDonald Mariga (Latina Italian Serie B) and Ismail Gonzalez (Spanish Segunda League).