FC Talanta

FC Talanta
Full name Football Club Talanta
Founded 19 July 2012
Ground Ruaraka Stadium
Nairobi, Kenya
Capacity 4,000
Chairman Kenya Mutua Muthusi
Executive Director Vacant
Head Coach Kenya Michael Nam
League National Super League
2013 FKF Division One, 2nd
(Zone A, Group 1)
(promoted)
Website Club home page

Football Club Talanta, also known as FC Talanta, is a professional football club based in Nairobi, Kenya, formed in July 2012. They currently compete in Zone A of the Kenyan National Super League.

History

Early days and formation

The talent development pilot programme was initiated in Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Niger and Kenya. In Kenya, the first phase was started in 2010[1] at the Kasarani Stadium and was launched by the then Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Hellen Sambili. Since then, they have moved to their current location in Karen and, in conjunction with UNICEF, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is working hard to get the team a permanent home ground. Talanta team members were chosen from the Safaricom Sakata tournament and were graduates of the academy.[2]

2012 FKF President's Cup

The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) confirmed on 26 July 2012 that 32 teams registered for the 2012 FKF President's Cup after paying the mandatory Ksh. 15,000 entry fee.[3]

The club's campaign began in the second round, against Tetu Stars. The match, played on 12 August 2012, ended in a 2-0 victory for Talanta, through goals from George Nzenze and Patrick Muchiri. They met FKF Division One side Nzoia United in the third round on 2 September 2012. An own goal from James Ndara and another goal from Hassan Abdulrahman helped the side cause one of the biggest upsets of the tournament at that stage.[4] However, Talanta could not advance from the quarter-finals after suffering a 2-0 defeat to defending Kenyan Premier League champions Tusker, who had beaten Garissa County League side Wamo 13-0 in the previous round. The goals were scored by David Nyanzi and Joseph Emeka.[5]

Jérôme J. Dufourg era

On 1 February 2013, FC Talanta hired French sport business professional Jérôme J. Dufourg as their executive director. Under his tenure, he signed former Karuturi Sports coach Michael Nam and his assistant Jackson Gatheru from Premier League,[6][7] and secured medical cover for all the team's players from Resolution Health Insurance.[8]

In May 2013, the club secured a kit sponsorship deal worth Ksh. 51 million (approx. US$ 580,000 or £ 342,000) with German sportswear company Jako for two years, making the club the first one in Kenya to have an official kit supplier.[9][10] Dufourg said the growth of the club was "just a start", and the deal was covered across Kenyan media networks such as NTV, KBC and Citizen TV and K24.[11]

In August 2013, Nam became the only African to attend a course for the UEFA B Licence in Dublin, Ireland, which included 24 other prospective coaches from Europe.[12]

In the wake of the club's promotion to the newly-formed National Super League after finishing second in Zone A (Group 1) at the end of the 2013 season, Dufourg was sacked by the club after falling out with both his employers and the Football Kenya Federation.[13] However, he remains a revered figure within both the club and Kenyan football in general for turning the club into one of the most organized outfits in Kenya's history.

Current squad

As of 10 July 2013.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Kenya GK Faruk Shikalo
2 Kenya FW Martin Lemayian
3 Kenya DF George Nzenze
4 Kenya MF Matthew Yaah
5 Kenya DF John Kiarie
6 Kenya MF Nelson Okumu (captain)
7 Kenya FW Anthony Karanja
8 Kenya DF Jaswel Ngugi
9 Kenya FW Rogers Omondi
10 Kenya MF Patrick Muchiri
11 Kenya FW Dennis Zakaria
12 Kenya MF Moses Kiplangat
13 Kenya DF Ali Akida
14 Kenya DF Benjamin Tera
No. Position Player
15 Kenya DF Calvince Oketch
16 Kenya GK Teddy Okumba
17 Kenya MF Heggard Barasa
18 Kenya FW Peter Kamau
23 Kenya GK Stephen Njunge
30 Kenya GK Benjamin Maithya
– Kenya DF Hassan Abdirahman
– Kenya DF John Kibutu
– Kenya MF Erick Macharia
– Kenya MF Job Tinyo
– Kenya MF John Olande
– Kenya MF Joseph Onyango
– Kenya MF Shela Mandela
– Kenya FW Wycliffe Njenga

Talanta Academy

The club's corporate vision is to evolve into a model of successful, transparent and mass movementof Kenyan youth who believe in themselves and can take the country to the nextlevel in soccer. As part of FC Talanta's commitment in giving back to the community, the National Youth Talent Academy (NYTA) was formed.

Talanta has a unique model in Kenya as the players constituting its teams must be graduates or former graduates of NYTA. Every year there is a selection all around Kenya to select the best 25-30 players and integrate them in the current team that will conserve only its best elements. For six months, the players selected during NYTA trials are training and developed in order to fit directly in the first team for the beginning of the following league season.[14]

Team Image

In April 2013, FC Talanta became the first team in Africa to have German-based apparel company Jako as their kit provider. Thus, it is also the only team in Kenya to have a kit supplier.[15]

Kit Providers

Corporate structure and sponsorship

The Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) unveiled the sponsorship of the team, which graduated from the National Youth Talent Academy.[16] The team's launch was held on 19 July 2012 at the Safari Park Hotel. CCK agreed a Ksh. 51 million deal to sponsor Talanta for the next three years.[17]

Social responsibility

The sponsorship of FC Talanta is one of the many CSR efforts undertaken by the CCK[18] in youth empowerment geared towards the creation of livelihoods among the youth.[19]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.youthaffairs.go.ke/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=29&Itemid=103&limitstart=8
  2. ↑ http://www.main.fctalanta.co.ke/index.php/academy/2011-08-15-05-52-35/who-we-are/79-about
  3. ↑ http://www.futaa.com/football/article/32-teams-confirm-participation-in-presidents-cup
  4. ↑ http://www.futaa.com/football/article/fkf-cup-fc-talanta-sail-on
  5. ↑ http://www.futaa.com/football/article/tusker-sees-off-talanta-to-advance
  6. ↑ "Talanta swoop for KPL coach". Futaa. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  7. ↑ "Gatheru gets down to business at Talanta". Futaa. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  8. ↑ "Talanta set to land Insurance deal". Michezo Afrika. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  9. ↑ "Talanta to be kitted by German company". Futaa. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  10. ↑ "Division one club lands 51 Million shilling sponsorship". Michezo Afrika. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  11. ↑ Okinyi, Mike (Reporter) (2013). FC Talanta Deal (YouTube). Kenya: Citizen TV.
  12. ↑ "Kenyan coach to fly African flag in Dublin". Futaa. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  13. ↑ "Jerome now shown the door". Futaa. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  14. ↑ http://www.futaa.com/football/article/nyta-in-search-of-talent
  15. ↑ http://www.futaa.com/football/article/talanta-to-be-kitted-by-german-company
  16. ↑ http://www.futaa.com/football/article/and-fc-talanta-is-born
  17. ↑ http://www.michezoafrika.com/division-one/division-one-club-lands-51-million-shilling-sponsorship/12086
  18. ↑ http://www.cck.go.ke/resc/publications/annual_reports/Annual_Report2011-12.pdf p.86
  19. ↑ http://www.sportanddev.org/newsnviews/news/?4752/...Talent

External links