Sofapaka vice-captain Mohamed Kilume has revealed a decision that saved his career after he had decided to focus on other matters away from football.
Kilume stated he was convinced to retrace his football path after he saw his former teammates doing well in the Kenya Premier League and in the National Super League.
“I wanted a good life and had hoped my talent would help me a breakthrough, sadly this wasn’t the case neither was it forthcoming,” Kilume told the club’s website.
“This got me frustrated and I decided to quit football and I shifted focus on other handy jobs to at least get some income.
“After a while, I started noticing my former teammates who were making strides in the lower league and top-tier leagues.
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"They were beginning to make a living out of it and this made me have deep consideration. I thought, maybe I wasn’t able to make it because of my small body size but then, after all, I changed my perception and decided to struggle my way back humbly but so determined and focused to make through.
“A return to Kakakuona FC [his former club] was the restart, later joined Sofapaka Youth before the ultimate breakthrough.”
Kilume also talked about the background of his career before he decided to pause engagement in football.
“Very little and determined, I began my journey largely turning out for sides commonly referred estate teams. All-Stars of Majengo was my first side before switching to Kabanza’s foundation of Kariakor,” he added.
“I didn’t last long at Kabanza moving to Kakakuona one of the best-managed sides by then. We used to refer to it as the ‘Manchester City’ of the area. I would later leave for Meru’s Mitunguu FC before rejoining Kakakuona.
“This is basically how the beginning of my career was like.”
The midfielder further revealed how he broke into Sofapaka's senior team after trading in the junior side where he was taking part in the KPL U20.
“I happened to have been proposed to Sofapaka Youth by my friend and teammate Brian Magonya who by then was injured and a need to fill in the gap raised,” he continued.
“I had an outstanding performance in the tournament [KPL U20] and upon the conclusion of the edition, the senior club tabled a contract for me.
"Naive and surprised, I was so delighted because my desire to play at the top level had been realised.”
The 23-year-old has only featured for Sofapaka both at the junior and at the senior levels as a professional player.
