The stars of the 2025-2026 Football Kenya Federation SportPesa Premier League season were celebrated in style during the gala awards held in Nairobi.
Gor Mahia’s Enock Morrison was named the season’s Most Valuable Player.
Morrison also walked away with the Best Midfielder accolade, underlining his influence in Gor Mahia’s successful season where they reclaimed the league title.
Murang’a Seal forward Joseph Waithira also enjoyed a memorable night after claiming the Golden Boot award as the league’s top scorer.
Waithira won the gong with 19 goals one better than Ulinzi Stars Paul Odhiambo while Kariobangi Sharks Humprey Aroko finished in third place with 13 goals.
Muranga Seal Fc forward Joe Waithira emerged the season’s top scorer with 19 goals.IMAGE:POOL
Waithira further earned recognition from his peers by being named the Players’ Player of the Season.
Gor Mahia’s dominance was further reflected in the coaching category, where head coach Charles Akonnor was named Coach of the Season following an outstanding campaign on the touchline.
Gor Mahia coach Charles Akonnor helped the club win their 2nd league title.IMAGE:POOL
Mara Sugar FC defender Jimmy Owili was recognized as the Best Defender of the Season, while Shabana FC shot-stopper Stephen Ochieng Otieno took home the Best Goalkeeper award having kept the most cleansheets during the campaign.
The future of Kenyan football was also celebrated, with Kariobangi Sharks youngster Humphrey Aroko winning the Young Player of the Season award.
Kariobangi Sharks Humprey Aroko was named the FKF PL Young Player of the season
In the team categories, Mara Sugar FC received the Most Disciplined Team award, highlighting the club’s professionalism and fair play throughout the season.
The evening also recognized the supporters who continue to drive the passion of the game, with Gor Mahia super fan Leonard Onyango, popularly known as “Taya Dok,” being named Fan of the Season.
With just two matches remaining, the race for promotion from the National Super League to the Football Kenya Federation Premier League has narrowed to a fierce, four-team battle separated by just six points.
As the pressure rises, the promotion race is becoming more than a contest for points- it is a test of endurance, belief, and ambition in Kenyan football
Migori youth historic promotion suffered a major setback after they were deducted three points and two goals for fielding an eligible player.
This decision by the Football Kenya Federation Appeals Committee (FKF-LOC) follows Kabati Youth FC’s successful appeal against National Super League leaders Migori Youth, who they accussed of fielding an ineligible player during their match on January 11. The case challenged an earlier decision by the FKF Leagues and Competitions committee to award Migori Youth maximum points.
Before these events unfolded, Migori Youth needed just one win from their remaining two matches to secure automatic promotion to the Premier League after 36 rounds of matches.
Migori youth remains top of the table with 74 points, just one point ahead of second-placed 3K FC, who have been consistent registering 22 wins, 7 draws and 7 loses in their 36 match-run. 3K FC head coach Nicodemus Omasete femained optimistic of reaching the target.
“I believe we have prepared well for this competition nothing to panic on, we will play according to our game plan and one game approach without any pressure and we will get positive results ”.
Omasete will however be without Glen Githinji who is injured. “So far so good we have all our players ready for selection for this two matches apart from one player who got injured on our last match against Talanta FC. No pressure from the team, pressure maybe is on our fans” opined the gaffer.
Mombasa United sits third with 72 points, with only one point separating them from second place 3K FC and also fourth place Equity FC, who sit fourth with 71 points. With this tight race, a single slip-up could prove too costly for the top four teams chasing promotion.
3k Fc needs to only win the remaining two matches, against the already relegated Mwatate United and title favourites Migori Youth to clinch their first FKF-NSL title and secure promotion to the premier league
Mombasa United are also on the grip of the title, winning both of their remaining matches and hoping both Migori and 3k drop points.
Equity FC are aslo sniffing on the title,thanks to the ruling against the league leaders Migori Youth.
Strong and a competitive entry of 96 golfers is set for the second leg of the 2026 Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing which is set to tee off Sunday at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club.
The three-day tournament, scheduled for June 7 – 9, has attracted 96 golfers from 11 countries.
Players from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Côte d’Ivoire, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States will battle for crucial Official World Golf Ranking,OWGR, points, World Amateur Golf Ranking ,WAGR points, Order of Merit points, and a share of the KES 2 million prize purse as the race for Sunshine Tour progression intensifies.
The field features a compelling blend of established professionals, elite amateurs, junior players, and leading women golfers from across the continent.
Leading the charge will be reigning Thika Sports Club champion Celestin Nsanzuwera of Rwanda, who arrives in Nairobi fresh from claiming the opening leg of the season.
The Kigali Golf Resort professional will be joined by fellow Sunshine Development Tour winners Dismas Indiza, Greg Snow, and newly-turned professional John Lejirma, who famously won the Royal Nairobi leg during the inaugural season.
Kenya boasts the largest contingent in the field, led by professionals including Samuel Njoroge, Michael Karanga, Mutahi Kibugu, John Karichu, Erick Ooko, Edwin Mudanyi, Abraham Galgalo, Tony Omuli, Rizwan Charania, and David Wakhu among others.
The amateur ranks will feature some of the country’s brightest prospects, including Ali Wasim who won the Tour’s Q-School in Limuru, Kevin Anyien, William Odek, Tsevi Soni, Lyndon Darker, Adel Balala, Elvis Muigua, Fred Njoroge, Paul Ichangi, Mitansh Thacker, and Yuvraj Singh Rajput.
inner of the Thika Sports Club leg of the Sunshine Development Tour East Africa Swing, Celestin Nsanzuwera from Rwanda poses with his winner’s trophy.IMAGE:COURTESY
Regional representation remains strong, with Rwanda fielding defending champion Celestin Nsanzuwera, Aloys Nsabimana, Emile Nshimyumuremyi, Jacques Byiringiro, Felix Dusabe, and Jean D’Amour Hitayezu.
Uganda’s challenge will be spearheaded by Abraham Ainamani, Gaita Rodell Tadeo, Phillip Kasozi, Marvin Kibirige, Ronald Otile, James Koto, and professional lady golfer Irene Nakalembe.
Tanzania will be represented by Nuru Mollel, Isaac Wanyeche, Abdallah Yusufu, Angel Eaton, Neema Olomi, and Madina Hussein, while Nigeria’s contingent includes Francis Epe, Godwin Okoko, Solomon Ideriah, Kamalu Bako, Ajayi Tajudeen, Eze Monday, and Sunday Olapade.
Additional international flavour will come from Ghana’s Ezekiel Afisco, Zimbabwean professionals Liberty Gumisa and Lloyd Dube, Côte d’Ivoire’s Kouame Kouakou Richard and Kouassi Jean-Romaric Djezou, American professionals Andrew Proctor and Gabriel Cruz, as well as British professional Elliot Bradley.
The women’s field continues to showcase the Tour’s commitment to inclusivity and development, with professionals Naom Wafula, Angel Eaton, Irene Nakalembe, Joyce Wanjiru, Margaret Njoki, and Kasango Grace set to compete alongside leading amateurs Kellie Gachaga, Mercy Nyanchama, Madina Hussein, and Neema Olomi.
Speaking ahead of the tournament, Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing Tournament Director David Kihara expressed confidence in both the quality of the field and the preparations for the event.
“We are delighted to bring the Sunshine Development Tour back to Royal Nairobi Golf Club, one of the most iconic venues in East African golf. The response from players has been exceptional and reflects the growing importance of the Tour as a pathway for golfers seeking progression to the Sunshine Tour and ultimately the global stage.” “What is particularly encouraging is the diversity of the field. We have established professionals, emerging amateurs, women golfers, juniors and players from across Africa and beyond all competing on the same platform. That is exactly what the Tour was created to achieve.”
“The Qualifying Schools in East and West Africa were a tremendous success and have expanded the reach of the Tour significantly. We have already seen players earn Sunshine Tour opportunities through this pathway, and we expect the competition at Royal Nairobi to be of an extremely high standard as players continue their pursuit of ranking points, titles and career progression.”
The tournament follows a successful season opener at Thika Sports Club, where Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera claimed victory after finishing on four-under-par to secure the first title of the new season.
Kenya’s Samuel Njoroge and newly turned professional Michael Karanga finished tied in second, setting up what promises to be an exciting battle at Royal Nairobi.
In a major boost to environmental sustainability ahead of the upcoming Nairobi City Marathon on June 7, 2026, a high-level coalition of sports, science, and infrastructure leaders gathered at the Haile Selassie Expressway terminal to launch a dual-pronged climate initiative.
Led by Athletics Kenya (AK) President Lt. Gen. (Rtd) Jackson Tuwei, the delegation participated in a symbolic tree-planting ceremony to mark an expanding partnership aimed at tackling urban air pollution and accelerating Nairobi’s green canopy goals.
The ceremony joined together key global and local leaders, including Dr. Philip Osano (Chief Operating Officer of CIFOR-ICRAF), Yu Fukai (Chief Executive Officer of Moja Expressway Limited), and Niall O’Connor (Centre Director of the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) Africa).
The cornerstone of this year’s sustainability drive is the strategic installation of four specialized air quality control sensors directly along the Nairobi Expressway infrastructure, which serves as the competitive backbone of the marathon route.
Deployed by SEI Africa in partnership with Moja Expressway and Athletics Kenya, these sensors are positioned at critical zones including Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Uhuru Park, ABC Place in Westlands, and Museum Road.
Lauding the partnership for delivering unprecedented, data-driven insights into urban athletics, Gen. Tuwei emphasized the borderless nature of climate advocacy:
A good and clean environment has no boundaries, and we must work together as a team to achieve common good on climate change and clean air,” Tuwei stated.
The tree-planting initiative represents the event’s permanent legacy. The exercise directly supports the Nairobi City Marathon’s ambitious environmental target to plant 5,000 trees annually, transforming the sporting event into a year-round catalyst for urban forestry.
“Greening of sporting venues is key, and we are also glad to help the Nairobi City Marathon in realizing their dream of planting 5,000 trees annually,” said Dr. Osano.
O’Connor reaffirmed that data transparency is vital to protecting both elite runners and everyday citizens:
We are happy to always assist Athletics Kenya in providing and installing the air quality sensors and helping in analyzing the data,” O’Connor noted.
African 100 metres record holder Ferdinand Omanyala faced a tough test against some of the world’s fastest sprinters at the Rome Diamond League meeting in Italy, finishing eighth as Olympic champion Noah Lyles stormed to victory.
The 2022 Commonwealth Games champion clocked 10.11 seconds in a race that featured some of the biggest names in world sprinting.
American sprint star Noah Lyles, the reigning Olympic 100 metres champion, lived up to expectations by powering to victory in 9.88 seconds.
Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme finished second in 9.94 seconds, just six hundredths of a second behind Lyles, while Botswana’s Olympic 200 metres champion Letsile Tebogo continued his impressive season with a third-place finish in a season’s best time of 9.95 seconds.
Despite missing out on a podium place, Omanyala’s appearance in Rome forms part of his preparations for the major championships later this season as he continues to test himself against the world’s elite sprinters on the Diamond League circuit.
Margaret Akidor was eighth in the women’s 5000m as Caroline Nyaga finished 12th.Africa champion Julius Yego was placed 7th in the Javelin throw with a best of 79.89 m.
Over 1,750 elite athletes have confirmed their participation in the 42 km race during the 5th Nairobi City Marathon set for this Sunday.
The race, which will start outside City Hall and end at Uhuru Park, will consist of the 42 km,21 km,10 km, and 5 km race categories.
Several roads in the Central Business District , highways, and expressway will be closed between 12 am on Sunday and 2 pm to pave the way for the annual race, with police assuring security for all the participants.
Winners of the marathon race will pocket KSh 3.5 million, while the 2nd and 3rd placed athletes will walk home with KSh 2.25 and 1.5 million, respectively.
A record 10 African countries will take part in the 2026 Fifa World Cup after the finals were expanded to 48 teams, with a host of star names hoping to go all the way and lift the trophy.
Cape Verde will make their tournament debut, while DR Congo return for the first time since 1974.
We pick out seven players to keep an eye on in the United States, Mexico and Canada from 11 June to 19 July.
Antoine Semenyo (Ghana)
The London-born forward may have missed out on the Premier League title with Manchester City, but it was his stunning piece of skill which provided the winner in the FA Cup final against Chelsea last month.
The 26-year-old is heading into the tournament off the back of his best ever league season in front of goal, with seven of his 17 efforts in the English top flight coming since his move to the Etihad Stadium in January.
Semenyo could find himself carrying his nation’s hopes, given that Ghana’s other Premier League star, Tottenham’s Mohammed Kudus, is out injured. Ghana will face England, Croatia and Panama in Group L.
Yan Diomande (Ivory Coast)
The Elephants, returning to the World Cup for the first time since 2014, boast the best young player in the German Bundesliga.
The 19-year-old scooped the Rookie of the Season award after his 12 goals and eight assists helped RB Leipzig finish third and return to the Champions League.
As a result, he has been linked with big money moves to the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea.
Group E opponents Germany will therefore know all about his abilities, and the Ivorians will also face Ecuador and debutants Curacao.
Ronwen Williams (South Africa)
South Africa are back at the finals for the first time since hosting in 2010, with their first target to progress past the group stage.
That is something Bafana Bafana have never managed, experiencing early exits in 1998 and 2002 before also becoming the first host nation to fail to clear the opening hurdle.
A strong core of players from dominant club side Mamelodi Sundowns is led by goalkeeper and captain Williams, who became known for his penalty-saving heroics after stopping four spot kicks in a shootout against Cape Verde in the Afcon 2023 quarter-finals.
The 34-year-old, who says he “cherishes” his role as skipper, now has a wealth of big-game experience, having just clinched the African Champions League title with Sundowns.
South Africa take on co-hosts Mexico in the tournament’s opening game on 11 June before facing Czech Republic and South Korea.
Brahim Diaz (Morocco)
The Real Madrid playmaker was the star for Morocco at Afcon 2025, scoring five goals as the hosts reached the final, but now has some making up to do.
With the game goalless deep in second-half stoppage time, the 26-year-old endured a moment to forget when his attempted Panenka penalty was easily saved by Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
A Confederation of African Football appeals board did subsequently award Morocco the title – with Senegal immediately taking the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport – but Diaz,who made his Morocco debut in 2024, well after the team’s run to the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar, should relish the chance for atonement.
The Atlas Lions face record five-time winners Brazil in their Group C opener before games against Scotland and Haiti.
Ismaila Sarr (Senegal)
The 28-year-old is another man in fine form in front of goal with a career-high 21 strikes for Crystal Palace this season.
Nine of those came in the Uefa Conference League, helping the Eagles to claim their first ever European trophy.
Sarr is gearing up for his third successive World Cup after Senegal were eliminated at the group stage on fair play record in 2018 before being swept aside 3-0 by England in the last 16 four years later.
The Teranga Lions, who can at least call themselves the reigning African champions on the pitch, face two-time champions France, Erling Haaland’s Norway and Iraq in Group I.
Sarr will hope to translate his club form onto the international stage as they bid for a similar upset.
Omar Marmoush (Egypt)
The 27-year-old may not have entirely lived up to his $79.5m (£59m) price tag since joining Manchester City from Eintracht Frankfurt in January last year, but Marmoush helped Pep Guardiola’s side pick up the League Cup and FA Cup this season.
The forward only started eight of City’s Premier League games in 2025-26 but he is among the first names on Egypt’s teamsheet.
Marmoush netted twice at Afcon 2025 as the North Africans finished fourth, and he will be aiming to build on those performances at his first World Cup. Coach Hossam Hassan will expect him to deliver.
Roberto ‘Pico’ Lopes
The centre-back has been a key component in a remarkable few years for tiny Cape Verde, who reached the last eight at Afcon 2023 before finishing above continental heavyweights Cameroon in qualifying for this year’s World Cup.
Shamrock Rovers man Lopes was first approached to play for the Blues Sharks via business networking platform LinkedIn, and he initially ignored the message because it was in Portuguese.
The Dublin-born 33-year-old – whose strong Irish accent is likely to make him stand out during media duties – made his debut in 2019 and only missed one game.
Cape Verde defender Roberto ‘Pico’ Lopez in action.PICTURE:COURTESY
Cape Verde face a daunting task in Group H, where they will come up against former winners Spain and Uruguay as well as Saudi Arabia, and Lopes’ experience and leadership at the back could prove a big factor.
Harambee Starlets head coach Beldine Odemba is eyeing impressive results in the forthcoming four nations friendly matches. Starlets is set to feature in the four nations tournament that will be played in Lusaka Zambia from 6th-9th June.
The tournament has attracted hosts Zambia,Kenya,Lesotho and Zimbabwe.Kenya will play Zambia on June 6th while Lesotho will play Zimbabwe.
The winners of the two fixtures will meet in the final while the losers will square it out in the third and fourth place play off.
Meanwhile Harambee Starlets forward and captain Mwanahalima Adam is expected to arrive in the country tonight ahead of the friendly matches.
Mwanahalima who plies her trade with Denmark’s HB Koge is set to join the camp but head coach Beldine Odemba will miss the services of defender Enez Mango and goalkeeper Lilian Awuor who failed to secure their release in time from their Romanian club,Farul Constanta as well as Simba Queens Jentrix Shikangwa and Elizabeth Wambui.
Kenya will be using the friendly matches to prepare for the 2026 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations scheduled July 25th-August 16th in Morocco.
The national men’s soccer team Harambee Stars left the country today ahead of their International friendly match against Lesotho.
Kenya will face Lesotho in a two legged fixture with the first tie set to be played Thursday,June 4th at the Lucas Moripe Stadium,Pretoria,South Africa.
The second match will be held at the same venue three days later at the same venue.Kenya was scheduled to play Krygystan and Palestine but the decision was quashed with FKF terming logistical challenges as the reason for the changes.
Harambee Stars head coach Benni Mccarthy in the meantime has rung changes to the initial squad announced two weeks ago.
Job Ochieng, Ryan Ogam and Byrne Omondi have been excluded from the squad and in their place Amos Nondi, Kelly Madada and Brian Bwire were called up.
Kenya is using the friendlies to prepare for the 2027 AFCON qualifiers,albeit having already qualified as co-hosts.
Kenya is pooled in group D alongside South Africa,Eritrea and Guinea.
Tsevi Soni has been crowned the overall winner of the 5th NCBA Faldo Junior Tour Kenya Championship after three days of competition at Vet Lab Sports Club in Nairobi.
The Sigona Golf Club junior golfer finished with a three-round total of five-over par 221, having led the tournament from the opening round.
In the age categories, Kevin Anyien of Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club claimed the Boys Under-21 title, while Yuvraj Rajput of Sigona Golf Club won the Boys Under-16 division.
Maryam Mwakitawa of Sigona Golf Club emerged victorious in the Girls Under-21 category, while Cherono Kipkorir of Royal Nairobi Golf Club secured the Girls Under-16 title.
The four leading category winners, Tsevi Soni, Yuvraj Rajput, Maryam Mwakitawa, and Cherono Kipkorir, have qualified for the Faldo Junior Tour European Grand Final set to take place in the United Arab Emirates from 17th to 19th November.
The championship is set to feature 84 junior golfers from six countries and forms part of the internationally recognized Faldo Junior Tour pathway founded by six-time Major champion Sir Nick Faldo.
Speaking after the event, Junior Golf Foundation President James Ondigo congratulated the participants on their performance.
