Footballer Who Quit Harambee Stars to Become a Welder

Geoffrey Kataka
Geoffrey Kataka when he played for Ushuru in a past Kenya Premier League match.
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Former Harambee Stars midfielder Geoffrey Kataka after 13 years of football, turned to welding as his new source of income and lifeline. 

Kataka has had the privilege of playing for many local clubs including Posta Rangers, Ushuru, AFC Leopards and Nairobi Stima. 

The former Posta Rangers striker was forced to retire after failing to secure himself a team following the expiry of his contract at Posta in 2018. It was a turn of event that Kataka did not expect.

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“Football has been my life since I came to Nairobi in 2007. It is through football that I got the opportunity to finish my college studies, get a job and provide for my family. 

“I felt that time had come for me to make the choice so that I can provide for my family. I would really have liked to play past 35 years, but I considered a lot of things before making the decision,” Kataka noted. 

Kataka who is a graduate from the University of Nairobi with a Bachelor of Education in Geography and Business studies started his professional career at AFC Leopards in January 2010. 

He joined Posta Rangers in 2012, then returned to Ushuru in the 2013/2014 season before returning to Posta where he played from 2015 to 2018. 

However during his time at Posta in 2018 he was loaned out to Wazito FC where he fell out of favour with his coach, ending his contract in September 2018. 

After his time at Wazito, Kataka found it hard to get a club that would require his services. He later turned to welding after a fruitless search. 

The 33-year-old ventured into entrepreneurship, establishing a retail store named Prigeo Enterprises Limited, where they make doors, windows and metallic gates of different designs. 

During a past interview, Kataka noted that it was a gamble for him as he had no other source of income after football.

“I had to source for income. Football was my only income and I am glad my gamble paid off especially in a business entity that I had no knowledge of,” Kataka noted in a past interview. 

The former Sarambee stars midfielder was in the squad that played against Malawi on April 2017 at the Machakos stadium.

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