Kenya Should Now Dine With African Stars- Yobo
(L-R): Kenyan football coaching great, Jacob “Ghost” Mulee; Mastercard Country Manager for East Africa, Shehryar Ali; Nigerian football legend, Joseph Yobo and Sports presenter, Njeri Meg during the UEFA Champions League finals viewing event hosted by Mastercard. PHOTO/ MASTERCARD
NAIROBI, Kenya-When former Nigeria Super Eagles captain Joseph Yobo battled Harambee Stars in the Fifa World Cup Qualifiers in 2013, he was so convinced that the Kenyan outfit was destined for greatness.
This was because Kenya proved cumbersome for Nigeria to handle in the two legged tie, forcing a 1-1 draw away in Nigeria before narrowly going 1-0 down at home in Nairobi.
But the display by the determined Kenyan charges had convinced Yobo that their rivals was a side to watch in the coming years.
It is now a decade past and the former Everton FC defender is wondering where Kenya is in Africa’s football, but Yobo is saying not all is lost for Harambee Stars as there is always chances for redemption.
“From my previous experience with Harambee Stars, Kenya should be among the giants of Africa by now,” Yobo told Standard Sports.
“We played the country and they were not pushovers. That difficult encounter showed there is just something about Kenyan football that if managed well, great things can come out of it.
“We need to see more of Kenya in continental football since Kenyans are very passionate about the game, especially if they are getting good results,” Yobo underlined.
The former Norwich defender is among the high profile sports personalities flown in by Mastercard in Nairobi to analyze the Saturday night’s Uefa Champions League final that pitted English Premier League champions Manchester City FC against Italian giants Inter Milan FC in a tie that ended 1-0 to the Manchester City’s favour courtesy of a Rodri Hernandez 68th minute strike.
When asked what Kenya should do to redeem its football image in Africa especially after the recent Fifa suspension, the former Marseille center back says a solid four-year plan is very necessary to keep the country forward and focus.
“There is a need to know where you want to be in the next four years, this will determine the course that you take to reach the intended destination.
“Kenya is big in Africa in football and more needs to be done to support the growth of the game so the country can qualify for AFCON again and even the World Cup in the future,” Yobo says.
(L-R): Kenyan football coaching great, Jacob “Ghost” Mulee; Mastercard Country Manager for East Africa, Shehryar Ali and Nigerian football legend, Joseph Yobo at the UEFA Champions League finals exclusive viewing event hosted by Mastercard. PHOTO/ MASTERCARD
The former Nigeria Super Eagles assistant coach hinted out his plan to follow in the footsteps of Cameroonian legend Samuel Eto’o by vying for the Nigeria Football Federation Presidency in the near future.
“It’s too early to say, but all is possible. I have been a national team player, a national team captain, a national assistant coach so what’s next for me is definitely football management and administration, so why not? Let’s wait and see what the future holds.
After retiring from international football in 2014, Yobo has been spending quality time with his family and doing different things away from the game.
“Currently, I’m back home in Nigeria to take care of my business. I feel blessed and happy with my achievements, both in and out of football.
“I have a very strong good will and am happy that people recognize what I have done in the game, especially back in my country,” he highlighted.
As a way of giving back to the society, Yobo is also exploring possibilities of engaging in mentorship programmes that will inspire young and promising footballers.
“My aim is to impart the youngsters with knowledge and skills gained over the years in the beautiful game,” he stated.
Yobo hailed Andre Onana for his impressive show in the UEFA Champions League final on Saturday night stating the Cameroonian and Inter Milan goal keeper represented Africa well in the tie.
“He controlled the game, he gave out commands like a true leader, he was just unlucky to lose tonight,” Yobo said.
“I’m proud of Onana, his display in the match showed Africa has quality that can also be gotten here in Kenya. We need more African players to represent the continent in the big clubs,” he underlined.
Joseph Yogo playing career
Youth career
1996–1997 Michellin-Harcourt
1997–1998 Standard Liège
Senior career
Years Team
1998–2001 Standard Liège
2001–2003 Marseille
2001–2002 Tenerife (loan)
2002–2003 Everton (loan)
2003–2012 Everton
2010–2012 Fenerbahçe (loan)
2012–2014 Fenerbahçe
2014 → Norwich City (loan)
