Does Owino Kempes name ring a bell?

Sammy Owino Kempes, the Director of Coaching Ayses. [Ayses]

Kenyans who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s cherish fond memories of great footballers who dazzled them because of their dribbling or ball control skills. Standard Sports has tracked down one of them, Sammy Owino ‘Kempes’, who for his exquisite flair with the ball, he earned the nickname Kempes after Argentine football wizard Mario Kempes.

What have you been up to lately?

I am currently involved with youth football development in Texas USA where I am the Director of Coaching and founder of Advanced Youth Educational Soccer System (AYSES). We serve youths from five years of age to 19 years.

Our goal is to develop players to play professionally. It has been a very rewarding way of life to do what I love.

Your generation benefited from Bernhard Zgoll’s Olympic Youth Centres, but today such an initiative is lacking. What specifically needs to be done?

The challenge we have in Africa is poor management, lack of vision and corruption. Most people unfortunately are very short-sighted and with short-term solutions. There is little money. The issue is how best to manage that money, reinvest back in the vision, and continue to build something special. Bernard Zgoll had a vision and a plan when he came to Kenya.

You previously suggested opening a sports academy at Umeme in Ziwani Estate. What’s the progress so far and the challenges of starting an academy?

There was a misunderstanding. The conversation was not about starting an academy, but about supporting Umeme. Starting an academy is not something you decide on a whim. In the past, I have donated some equipment and uniform to Umeme, but that is different from starting an academy. The challenge is finding qualified people who can manage an academy. You can give people resources, but if you want to establish something special, you need people with better management skills. I am still interested in starting an AYSES academy in Kenya. It takes somebody with the experience of a Chief Executive Officer to run a first class academy.

Lastly, most former footballers often languish in poverty. What are we not doing right?

It is very sad to see the state of players when they retire. My goal was to get an education and that changed my life. Players need to understand that fame is temporary. A players’ union is required to fight for the rights of the players, but more importantly, educates players on the value of investment.