The dream of every footballer from across the world is to play in one of the most elite leagues on the planet: English Premier League (EPL).
A chance to play for teams like Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and other big English clubs is something to cherish for many footballers.
However, very few are lucky to live their childhood dreams. In Kenya, the first player to appear for a Premier League side was Victor Wanyama who played for Southampton and Tottenham.
His predecessors, however, never had the chance to feature in the league despite their talents, TeamKenya.co.ke takes a look at some of the most talented Kenyan players who never set foot in the English Premier League.
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Dennis Oliech
One of Kenya's football legends, Dennis Oliech, left the pitch as Harambee Stars second all-time goal scorer, behind William "Chege" Ouma who had 35 goals.
Oliech started his career at Mathare United FC before leaving the country and joining Qatar-based Al-Arabi. During his time in Qatar, he received an offer to switch citizenship but turned it down.
Oliech has also played for some of the renowned clubs in Europe and Middle East like Nantes (France), Auxerre (France), Ajaccio (France) and Dubai CSC.
McDonald Mariga
Remembered for being the first ever Kenyan to play in the prestigious UEFA Champions League, Mariga falls in the list of Kenyan footballers who never played for an English club.
While still at school, he played for some of the Kenyan top clubs like Tusker, Ulinzi Stars and Kenya Pipeline.
The prolific midfielder played for European clubs like Parma (Italy), Inter Milan (Italy), Latina (Italy) and Oviedo (Spain).
Musa Otieno
Kenya's longest-serving captain, Musa Otieno, played a major part of his football career in the local league having played for topsides AFC Leopards and Tusker FC.
The defensive player featured in the South African League from 1997 to 2011 for Santon FC. During his period in South Africa, he went on loan to America-based Cleveland City Stars.
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