It was once regarded as Kenya’s football incubation hub – but not anymore. It was here that some of Kenya’s prolific players sprouted from before joining the big shot on both national and the international stage.
The story of Kenya’s international hotcake striker Michael Olunga is incomplete without the mention of Thika United – a club once described as the “Arsenal of Kenyan football” – a preferred model for football development in the country.
The fuel that ran the Thika football factory came from one important talent reservoir – The Kenya Secondary School Sports Association –KSSSA national games.
Part of that sponsorship was a deal to have Thika United sign players straight from Schools considering that Brookside also sponsored the Kenya Secondary School Sports Association –KSSSA national games.
Thika set itself apart from the rest of the Kenyan clubs – most who have perfected the art of buying already tried and tested players.
This was buoyed by the fact that some of Kenya’s best coaches, the likes of John Kamau, Abdalla Juma, James Nandwa and Nicholas Muyoti all coached at the club at some point in their careers.
The club once unveiled six players; Bilikwalira Dan, Balinya Juma and David Bogere and Kizito Tony all from St. Mary’s Kitende in Uganda; Shabaan Moka from Tanzania’s Lord Baden Powell high school and Wycliffe Nyangechi from St. Mary’s High School in Nyanza.
“We are the only premier league club that has no stress in the pre-season window trying to chase around big signatures to join our team. We aspire to nurture the players from schools into realms of professionalism. This we have done since 2005 and the six-year partnership with Brookside has brought with it better returns,” then club patron Gerald Chege said back in 2011.
Balinya Juma is now attached to the Uganda Premier League side – Kampala Capital City Authority –KCCA while Bilikwalira Dan recently joined Doves All Stars from Kyetume Football Club. He also played for the Vipers Sports Club.
But these are not the only success story of talents that have sprouted from Thika United.
Michael Olunga- Al Duhail (Qatar)
Olung is perhaps the biggest name that has ever passed through the club. After clearing his High School studies, Olunga had a brief stint with Liberty Academy before joining Tusker. He was then loaned to Thika United from where Gor Mahia scouted him and he would go ahead to break the barriers when he signed his first professional contract with Swedish side-Djurgardens IF in 2016.
Olunga who recently moved to Qatari side Al Duhail from Japan’s Kashiwa Reysol, has also played in Spanish La Liga with Girona FC besides having a stint in China with Guizhou Hengfeng Zhicheng.
Clifton Miheso-Gor Mahia
Journeyman Clifton Miheso is among the few Kenyan players who have turned out for both Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards. This long and winding journey that has taken him to South Africa, Zambia and Finland, started at Thika United in 2011 where he spent the next three years of his early football career. Currently with Gor Mahia, Miheso has also played in Portugal with Olimpico Montijo Administration Police and Sofapaka locally.
Francis Kahata-Simba (Tanzania)
It is interesting to note that Kahata has played for only two clubs in Kenya. Other than Gor Mahia, Thika United is the only other local club Kahata has featured for locally. The former KF Tirana (Albania) and University of Pretoria loanee is currently attached to Simba United. He’s another of the many talents that passed through the tunnel of talent development at Thika United.
Other notable big name-players who have passed through Thika United include Kepha Aswani, Denis Odhiambo and Eugine Mukangula among others.
Following the demotion to a lower tier, Thika now wants to continue with their talent development mission. To do this, Mike Muriuki, an official, says, they will have to convert the club into an Under 15 academy.
Thika were relegated to the National Super League after finishing bottom of the Kenyan Premier League in 2018.
