Amani Nzomo: Youngster juggling football and polo

Rising Stars midfielder Amani Nzomo (right) in action during a friendly match last year. [FKF Media]

Juggling two sporting disciplines and excelling in them at an elite level is not an easy achievement.

And for successful players, they must have high intellectual capacity besides their talent.

It demands exceptional time management, focus, commitment, and meticulous organisation in both training and match preparation.

It also requires sharp intellect, discipline, elite physical fitness, and the ability to absorb instructions from professional coaches.

That is exactly how 21-year-old Kenyan star Amani Nzomo has managed to excel in both football and polo.

Amani says he takes his coaches' advice seriously and approaches every session with total commitment.

"When it comes to training sessions, whether in polo or football, I take them with the seriousness they deserve. Time management is also very important," he said.

The youthful Kenyan international polo player is also a talented footballer who was called up to the provisional Kenya U20, Rising Stars, last year but was dropped due to a groin injury. He's since then been sidelined with the injury.

Amani's club Ligi Ndogo coach Chris Amimo said the player was not at his best when he was dropped from Afcon U20-bound Rising Stars last year.

"The boy is a talented player who can play in the wings if not as a defensive midfielder at both numbers 10 and 8. But he's better off in the wings where he could have featured for the Rising Stars had he not sustained that injury," said Amimo.

Amani has featured for several football academies in Barcelona, Spain as he continues with his studies in Europe.

Amani honed his football skills at Ligi Ndogo in Nairobi after transitioning from go-karting, where he was adjudged the 2016 Kenya Motor Sports Federation Go-karter of the year.

In polo, he features for Nairobi Polo Club and has played for the national team in a number of international assignments.

Lenny Evra, a football agent, has been monitoring Amani's progress, describing him as a talented player with attributes capable of playing at the highest level.

"We have watched him train and play for a while now and we are interested in him. We came to observe him here in Nairobi to assess his progress” Lenny said during an interview at the Nairobi Polo Club. “Our main interest for now is for Amani to get to full fitness first."

Lenny is the son of French and Manchester United and legend Patrice Evra, who is currently involved in football development in the United Arab Emirates.

"Our goal currently is to work with Amani, but we are definitely open to coming back for a longer period," said Lenny.

Lenny revealed that they first spotted Amani during a Student Nations football tournament in Barcelona earlier this year, which he ran.

At the age of 12, Amani was scouted and invited to the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) Academy in France.

However, he never joined the academy and instead moved to the United Kingdom to further hone his skills.

Amimo said he had watched Amani for the longest period at his Ligi Ndogo academy and doesn’t doubt his ability.

"Our prayer is that the boy recovers from groin injury and gets back to his best,” said Amimo.

One of Kenya's best polo players, Jamie Murray, at handicap 4, was full of praise for Amani.

"His agility and speed in the pitch are exceptional. He's been selected to represent Kenya in a number of international youth assignments. He is progressing well," said Murray about the handicap 2 player.

Despite the injury setback, Amani remains honoured to be on the radar of European scouts.

"It doesn't come easy, but I will continue to work until I get to my destination," said the player.

Just like in football, he's determined to excel in polo.

"I enjoy both sports equally and I'm grateful for the opportunity to play both, so I have to organise myself well to accommodate them all," he added.

"When it comes to training sessions, whether in polo or football, I take them with the seriousness they deserve. Time management is also very important."