Speedy Paul Were to stir Stars

Francis Kahata (L) of Gor Mahia FC tackle Paul Were of AFC Leopards SC during their Kenyan Premier League match dubbed Mashemeji Derby at Kasarani stadium in Nairobi on May 19, 2019.  Photo/Stafford Ondego

AFC Leopards mid fielder stands out as the silk around which the national team will be wrapped.

Paul Were is a player known for his disappearing acts. But every time he appears, mainly from Europe, he always has something special to offer.

When he came back two months ago and signed up with AFC Leopards, Were did enough to convince Harambee Stars coach Sebastian Migne to include him in the national team boot camp in Paris.

Speedy and indefatigable, Were can run down even the most stable of defences and this would certainly convince Migne to name him in his final 23 team that travels to Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations finals.

Were said he is grateful for the opportunity when Migne named his 32-member team.

“It is now up to me to work hard and make it to the final squad that will travel to Egypt. I am really grateful to Migne for giving me this opportunity to represent my country once again,” he said before the team left for the three-week training camp in France.

Were said he was grateful to the AFC Leopards technical bench for pushing him to give his best in the SportPesa Premier League (SPL) something that earned him a call up to the national team.

He expressed confidence that Harambee Stars can do well during the tournament despite being in a tough group that has Senegal, Algeria and Tanzania.

“In football, we have realised that nothing is impossible and for this reason, there is a possibility that we can pick good results from the group. The most important thing is to prepare well and the rest will take care of itself,” he said.

A product of Fisa Youth Academy, Were’s contemporaries include the likes of Patrick Oboya, Kevin ‘Ade’ Omondi and Musa Mohammed.

Apart from Were and Mohammed, the others have not made it big in their careers.

From Fisa Youth Academy, Were moved to Tusker in 2010 staying at the brewers for two years before moving to AFC Leopards in 2014.

In 2015, he moved to South Africa to play for Amazulu but made only five appearances.

From there he moved to Eastern Europe playing for several clubs  especially in Greece giving the impression of an unsettled player.