MATHARE YOUTH SPORTS ASSOCIATION

“After a vigorous selection, the premier league side signed majority of youth from 2011 nationwide side, Mathare Youth FC, while still maintaining the long treasured tradition of selecting Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) members and alumni to the team”

Mathare United aimed for a balance of veterans and youth for the 2012 season. On its full roster of 30 players, 11 players are 17-21 years old, another 11 players are 22-25 years old and the remaining 8 players are 26-30 years old. The youngest player is defender Tirus Omondi (17) and the oldest is goalkeeper Joseph Ruto (30). The average age of the 30 players is 22-23 years.

Their lineup is also balanced with 3 goalkeepers, 10 defenders, 10 midfielders and 7 strikers.

Continuity also a key feature
The core of the team still consists of 19 players retained from last year plus 3 former players returning to the club, 6 players from the Mathare Youth team and 2 former MYSA players.

Sticking to its long standing recruitment policy, all 30 players are MYSA members or alumni. Also, the 2012 team has a healthy amount of continuity as 12 players already played at least 3-9 years for MUFC. Another 10 players have played at least 1-2 years for MUFC.

The longest serving veterans are MUFC Captain/central defence kingpin Anthony Kimani and midfielder Vincent Okello who have both been with the club since 2003.
Strengthened line up

Last year the team struggled to score crucial goals and drew a record 13 matches while losing another 6 matches by only one goal. If they had scored only one more goal in half of those 19 of their 30 matches, the team would have ended in the top four and likely been contending for the title.

This year the strike force has been strengthened with the return of Francis Ouma who, when with Mathare United in 2008 won the KPL Top Scorer Award, plus 18-year old striker Daniel Mwaura and 21-year old striker Wycliffe Ingumba, both from Mathare Youth FC. But in their pre-season friendlies, strikers Jesse Were, Andrew Tololwa, Edwin Oduor and Kevin Opiyo have also all shown an encouraging hunger and knack for scoring goals.

Service to the strikers has also been strengthened with the return of two veterans, international midfielder Jamal Mohamed and Anthony Khadudu, plus the additions of midfielders Kenneth Kimani and Mohamed Noor from Mathare Youth as well as Gabriel Nduru and Ernest Wendo from Tusker and Bidco.

Revamped technical team
The MUFC technical team has also been completely revamped from within the MYSA family with the return of veteran Head Coach Gabriel “Kingi” Njoroge supported by three new Assistant Coaches: George Mwangi, William Muluya and Alex Mwangi (goalkeepers).

MUFC has also engaged a full time physiotherapist, Wycliff Omom, and former Kenyan national boxing, youth athletics and rugby fitness trainer Benjamin Musa.

Dutch Coaching Instructor/Adviser Theo Derks, who has taught and worked extensively with MYSA/MUFC and many other Kenyan coaches since 1999 when he was a co-instructor for the first ever KFF/KNVB Coaching Course here, will also advise and assist the MUFC coaching staff during key periods this year. He is presently helping prepare the team for the 2012 kick off.