Top 5 Kenyan players to have played in Europe
Recognized globally as a nation where some of the very best athletes in long-distance running (like Eliud Kipchoge) are born, Kenya's footballing prowess is little known outside Eastern Africa.
Very few out in the world would be aware of the fact that the Harambee Stars, as the Kenyan National Football Team is colloquially called, are the current holders of the CECEFA Senior Challenge Cup - the oldest football tournament in all of Africa, comprising of national teams from the East African region.
The Kenyans have won the regional tournament seven times and have seven runners-up medals in addition to that.
Though the team is yet to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, they have featured six times in the CAF African Cup of Nations. The country currently is heavily investing in football with the hopes of securing a World Cup finals berth.
Despite failing to qualify for major tournaments, Kenya has produced some fine footballers in the recent past, most of them plying their trade in the Kenyan Premier League, the South Africa Premier Division, and the Zambia Super League. However, there are a few footballers from the country who have made it big and got the chance to show their skills in Europe.
Here is a look at the top five Kenyan footballers to have played in European leagues:
#5 Mike Okoth Origi
Regarded as one of the greatest strikers Kenya has ever produced, he spent most of his footballing career in Belgium, turning out for as many as six different league clubs before hanging up his boots in 2006.
He represented the Kenyan National team in three editions (1990, 1992, and 2004) of the African Cup of Nations. Origi is the most capped Kenyan footballer in history, finishing his career with an astonishing 120 appearances for the national side.
During his time in Belgium, he played for KV Oostende, KRC Harelbeke, Genk, Molenbeek, Heusden-Zolder, and Tongeren. With Genk, he played 81 matches across four seasons scoring 20 goals in the process, winning the domestic league twice and the Belgian Cup once before departing for rivals Molenbeek.