There has been an influx of Kenyan players moving to the Somalia Premier League in recent years with Javan Ogada being one of the latest players to make such a move.
Having in the books of Kariobangi Sharks junior teams, Ogada failed to cement his name into the club’s first team and while he had interests from a few clubs in the Kenyan top flight, he decided to make the bold move of moving to Somalia after he was offered a better perk.
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“I had been in the books of Kariobangi Sharks youth team since I was in form one and they gave me a good foundation. I even got a chance to play for the senior team while still in the youth team but then I then moved to Ruiru Hotstars in my dream of playing regularly in the first team. They gave me a good platform to showcase what I was capable of doing. I would have liked to play for a top-flight team in Kenya but a better deal came from Somalia which I couldn’t turn down,” Ogada, who is currently in the books of Badbaado tells Pepeta.
While there have been fears among so many quarters about the safety of foreign individuals in Somalia, Ogada who signed a short deal with Badbaado says he hasn’t experienced any challenges in the Horn of Africa nation.
“I haven’t seen any major worries with my well-being here. I haven’t seen the difference too compared to the experiences I had in Kenyan football,” he adds.
The shot-stopper reveals that the Somalia FA had approached him for a change of nationality but insists that his aim is to one day represent Harambee Stars even as his stint with his current club ends in August 2024.
“My ambition has always been to represent Harambee Stars. In the short stint I have been here, there have been an approach from the Somalia FA for me to represent them but it has never crossed my mind even for a single day to represent any country apart from Kenya,” he says.
On the difference between the Somalia Premier League and the FKF Premier League, Ogada adds: “I think so many people are embracing this league because we have a good number of foreigners here. The edge with this league compared to what we have at home is that their government is seriously invested in it. They broadcast their league and take football as the number one sport here. Most teams here have sponsors majorly because of the support their government has placed.”
Despite the praise, Badbaado hasn’t been doing well in the league as they are currently placed 10th in the 12-team table with 8 points after 11 games.
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