St. Anthony's teen sensation Kibet has unfinished business in Rwanda before Spain journey

The name Aldrine Kibet is now on the tongues of every football lover in the country, and deservedly so.

The St. Anthony’s Kitale Maverick is a joy to watch. Scoring two goals at a fully packed Bukhungu Stadium during the football boys final against Dagoretti, Kibet took his tournament tally to a massive 25 goals. This not only sealed Solidarity Boys’ 6th overall national title but also a place in the East Africa Games set to be held in Huye, Rwanda.

He says he has some business to finish in Rwanda before jetting out to Spain.

‘’It’s all God’s plan, and this is a very warm feeling. The crowd carried us with massive support, and I must say I’m a little overwhelmed with the atmosphere,’’ says the lad, who also made 27 assists in the competition.

‘’Right now the focus is on Huye, Rwanda, where we will carry the country’s flag in the hope that we can continue with our winning streak.’’

St. Anthony’s came into the final on the back of a labored 1-0 semi-final victory against the hosts and a very mean Shanderema. He was the one to make the difference in the clash, tucking away a neatly driven low ball.

An uphill task now awaited them in the final as they not only faced historical rivals but also a team that had served them with their only loss of the campaign during the group stage. Dagoretti stood in wait at the final.

‘’They had already beaten us, so you’d expect us to be uneasy before the match, but we were not. Our coaches had planned it out so well for us, and that’s why it might look like we totally dominated,’’ adds Kibet, who is Spain-bound.

Aldrine, along with his captain, towering centre-back Amos Wanjala, will be visiting Spain for a tryout with a La Liga side courtesy of Nastic Sports Academy, which scouted him. It’s a football scholarship that they will pursue after finishing their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in November.

‘’The Spain journey will be great, I believe. It’s a good opportunity to study and play football at the same time. I can’t wait to get there, but first, we focus on the East Africa games,’’ says the 16-year-old, who adores Inter Miami star Lionel Messi.

The 2023 East Africa Games will be held in Huye, Rwanda, from August 15th to August 30th, with action dates set between August 19th and August 28th. Runners-up Dagoretti and third-place Shanderema will represent the boys teams for the country, whereas Butere Girls, Wiyeta, and Madira will represent the girls sides.

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