Ambani questions 'sleeping' Gor Mahia, AFC Leopards and Kenyan government over lack of sports facilities

Retired Kenya striker Boniface Ambani has described Football Kenya Federation Premier League sides Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards as 'sleeping clubs' as far as sports facility development is concerned.

Chronicling his football journey that one time took him to China, Ambani questioned what the country has done to develop sports generally.

"I landed in China in 2009, during my journey playing football. What actually caught my eye, were the facilities that the Chinese government has put in place, to help their football grow," the former AFC Leopards and Yanga SC star wrote on his Facebook page.

"The Chinese national team has its own training facilities. They have five training facilities in different cities. The facility I visited was just something I actually, can't compare with anything in East and Central Africa.

The Star.

"Five training pitches were well-manicured, three of them are artificial pitches. A fully equipped hospital, three gyms, three outdoor swimming pools, one indoor swimming pool, and three restaurants.

"12 hostels, each wing can accommodate a contingent of 40 members of a travelling team, and a mini stadium, with a capacity of around five thousand seats.

"It's a full concentration centre. Its location touched me. The nearest shopping centre was almost 30 kilometres away. It's located in the middle of nowhere. That brings me back

home.

"What have we done, as a country to promote our sports? The club I was training with had four excellent training pitches, with their own training facilities too.

Sleeping

"Clubs like AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia have also continued to sleep.

"It will take a lot of sacrifice from the club management and fans to make this a reality. It can happen. We can do this. The government should also be able to help.

"I saw members of parliament going to Russia World Cup [in 2018] for benchmarking. What

happened?" 

AFC Leopards have taken some steps towards developing their own stadium in Nairobi after payment of pending land rates in June 2020. 

The local giants, just like the rest in the league, have been using government facilities like Kasarani Complex, Nyayo Stadium, Bukhungu, Moi Stadium and Thika Stadium which are either owned by the national government or the county governments.