Tusker FC leads KPL All-Stars for Hull City training

Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions Tusker FC have contributed eight among a stellar cast of 50 KPL players selected to join Hull City’s training camp in January next year as the country draws nearer to the first ever football match pitting an English Premier League side and a Kenyan side.

The domestic double winners enjoyed an impressive 2016 season and now have the biggest number selected among the country’s top crème, three more than each of their nearest rivals; Gor Mahia, Posta Rangers and Western Stima who had five players picked from each of their squads.

The shortlist includes the surprise inclusion of 16-year-old Joshua Otieno who impressed the visiting Hull academy coaches, Richard Naylor and Kris Blakeston, when they visited Sony Sugar FC at their Awendo base.

Preparations for the game at the KCOM Stadium began earlier this 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 but selected only 47 because they wanted to give it to the players who deserved the opportunity and did not feel it was correct to give it to 3 players just to make up the numbers.

With shortlists and player recommendations now submitted, coaches will return to Kenya for the training camp early in the New Year to pick out the top 16 players who will go on to form the All Stars squad that will travel to England to take on the Tigers in February.

“The project is truly unique; the first stage of the project has gone incredibly well and we now look forward to organising the training camp in January when our coaches will have the tough task of picking a squad to play at the KCOM Stadium in February,” Tigers Commercial Manager Simon King stated.

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