Gor Mahia Football Club
Nairobi, Kenya
Aug 2023 - Jul 2025
Joining what was probably the most challenging and pressure-filled football environment in the country, it was dramatically different from what I was used to - going from 20 or 30 people watching, to matches like the Mashemeji Derby where an entire national stadium was filled to the brim.
This was my first real introduction to professional first-team football. Working with Coach McKinstry was like doing a Master's in football management. Working with Coach Leonardo was a lesson in how to use tactical changes to influence the game. Working with Coach Zico was a great lesson in teaching the "Dark Arts" of the game. Working with Coach Miha was a great lesson in player profiling and match strategy. And working with Coach Nam was a great lesson in quiet leadership and the power of observation. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to represent the green and white for those two glorious years.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.
Charles DickensA Tale of Two Cities
True Talents of Africa
Nairobi, Kenya
Nov 2022 - Jul 2023
Organizations take on the lived experience of their founders – you start something because you want to create what you wish you had at some point in your life. TTA is no different. They are on a mission to create a wholesome football development environment – the kind which hasn’t been seen anywhere else on the continent; the kind their founder, Kim, would have wanted when he was growing up.
I believe in Kim’s vision. And that’s why I was excited when he asked me to head up the U21 program. That experience gave me the chance to be a head coach, to run a technical bench, and to implement what had started to become the big rocks of my vision of football – high-pressing, possession-dominance, hard work, and a “gentlemanliness” that I felt is missing from the game. I got to find myself a little with this experience. And I hope the little part I played in the development of the organization made even the smallest of positive differences.
Young United Football Club
Nairobi, Kenya
Jan 2022 - Dec 2022
Young United Football Club was founded by a good friend of mine. It is a grassroots football club in the Dandora area of Nairobi focused on developing young football players with character, integrity, intelligence, and the mindset to just grind through challenges. And, as organizations tend to take on the characteristics of their founders, I could describe Dexter in the same exact way – character, integrity, intelligence, and the mindset to just grind through the challenges life throws at you.
This experience taught me that at the end of the day, football is about people. The football on the field is about the players ON the field. But to be fully involved IN this game and to have the type of impact I would like to leave ON this game, I would have to start by putting the humanity of the people I encounter first. Life is a lot more than just football.
Football Kenya Federation
Nairobi, Kenya
Sep 2021 - Jun 2024
To most people, the performance of the national teams and the Premier League is the barometer by which they judge the work of the Football Kenya Federation. And while to some point I agree, my involvement with the game gives me a bit more insight. Coach education is one of the cornerstones of a good football ecosystem. Just like Finland’s focus on the quality of teachers in its education system yielded better development outcomes for its learners, better coaches equal better football players overall.
Working with the FKF introduced me to the face of football I had not interacted with till then. A lot of things began to make sense – why our players are the way they are; why our teams play the way the do; why we struggle with the challenges we struggle with. We have a long way to go as a football nation. But the journey HAS began. And the coaches are in the driving seat.
Right to Dream Academy
Old Akrade, Ghana
Sep 2019 - Aug 2020
My time with the Right to Dream Academy changed my life. Yes – that dramatic. Obviously, I had never spent time with truly world-class athletes at a place where the standards and expectations were truly world-class. So it gave me perspective as a young coach working my way up – What does a world-class footballer look like? How do they train? How do they execute on the field? What is their mindset?
But more than that, though, it gave me perspective about my purpose and what it meant to be African in a world where not too much good is expected of you. That period showed me that we need to come together as a continent, take pride in who we are, and take ownership of our situation. We are the ones to improve our communities. We are the ones to bring this continent together. Because if we don’t, we will never stand up to take our place at the global table.
I see my purpose much more globally now. I am an African man. And I am proud to be!
Kisasa Sports
Nairobi, Kenya
Jan 2019 - Aug 2019
There are some people who you come across and you think – I’m going to achieve something great with this person. I’m not sure when. I’m not sure how. But I know I will. Oluniyi is one of those people. And Kisasa Sports was the beginning of that.
I joined Kisasa as they were in the middle of expanding their offering to Wazito FC (a local second division team that was looking to gain promotion to the Kenyan Premier League). The company was contracted to offer sports science services (athletic development, coaching support, video analysis, nutrition, athlete monitoring, and physiotherapy) to the club.
I could not have asked for a better introduction to the local football scene. I could not have asked for a better introduction to the realities of working in the professional game. This experience taught me HOW to work in football. And as I look back (6 years later), I realise that this experience also showed me the importance of shared values when choosing who you want to work with.
Strathmore School
Nairobi, Kenya
Dec 2013 - Aug 2019
Other than my mother, Strathmore School is what truly shaped me to be who I am today. After spending 11 years with the school as a student, I spent an additional 8 years as a coach. Those are the years that truly define who I am as a coach.
Objectively, I was a terrible when I started. I did not understand anything about skill development, tactics, game management or even player management. I fumbled my way through and the little success we had was down to the extraordinary students I had the honor of stewarding through their high-school sports experience.
What I did have was a great group of people around me that allowed me to discover myself, and stumble through the beginnings of this profession in a safe space. Coaching at my old school taught me the most important lesson a coach will ever have – It isn’t about the scoreboard. It’s about the impact you leave on the people you’ve been tasked with stewarding. And every time I feel lost, I go back to that lesson.
Various Projects
Nairobi, Kenya
I have been involved in various other projects over the course of the years that, while not being long-term, played a part in getting me to where I am today.
Green Sports Africa: I was a scout at their annual tournaments and a coach at the showcases they put on to try get players opportunities.
Tusk Sports: I was part of the talent identification team tasked with identifying players from various neighborhoods in the city and an assistant coach during the 2-week camp we put on to showcase the players for further opportunities.