Two young internationally capped Kenyan players have signed new contracts with top English National League sides.
Joshua Lelan, who had made 44 first team appearances for Crawley Town and Jonah Ayunga, who was acquired for £44,000 by Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion, signed with Aldershot Town and Sutton United respectively, both former league two sides.
The National League is the top English non-league competition with full time professionals and is one tier below division two in the English league structure.
Each year two sides are promoted from the National League to Division Two, one as champions and one from the play offs.
Last year, both Sutton United and Aldershot were in the play-offs but failed at the final hurdle.
Now both clubs hope that with the two Kenyan internationals in their fold they can make it back to the football league this season. Last season, both clubs averaged attendances of 2,500, high for the national league and above many Division Two sides.
Lelan, a 23-year-old defender from Derbyshire, who can play at right-back and centre-back, made 33 appearances for Crawley Town last season, having won the League Two championship with Northampton Town in 2015-16.
Lelan, who debuted for Harambee Stars in an international friendly against Uganda in Kampala in 2016, began his career in the Derby County Academy and made his senior debut in the Conference Premier (now National League) during a 2013 loan spell at Gateshead. He also made five appearances for Swindon Town in League One at the start of the 2014-15 season.
Throughout his childhood, Kipkemboi had always dreamt of donning the jersey of the country of his father’s birth, Harambee Stars, even as he started his football journey in the youth ranks of Derby County.
The versatile defender finally managed to achieve that long standing dream on August 30,2016 when he made his debut for the Harambee Stars, coming on as a 80th minute substitute for Musa Mohammed in Kenya’s 0-0 draw with Uganda Cranes in an international friendly in Kampala.
“It was a great feeling; you can’t really explain or understand it not unless you are in that situation. It was quite a day for me and my family especially making it to Uganda and playing in that match. That was great,” an excited Lelan told a local media house.
The memories of that now infamous call he received to inquire of his availability join up with the team still linger on his mind.
“My dad’s been telling me for years about Harambee Stars and how special they are to the Kenyan people. It’s always been on my mind to play but there still hadn’t been a situation for me where I can play.”
“I got my Kenyan passport a couple of years ago in the hope the opportunity can come up and finally the federation reached out to me.”
“I was in close communication with one of the coaches for a while. He said to me ‘would you be interested’ and straight away I said yes. I spoke to my dad and family and they encouraged me on coming to play for Kenya. The feeling was special.” Lelan opined.
The young Kenyan defender said he was very positive about where his new club can go and his move from Crawley Town, was “a really positive step for me.”
“Promotion is the main aim for this Club. We don’t talk about it much but I don’t think we should be looking for anything else.”
Meanwhile, manager Paul Doswell, the Sutton United boss has signed the former Brighton and Hove Albion under-23 striker Ayunga on a two-year deal.
The 21-year-old counts Dorchester Town, Sligo Rovers and Galway United among his former clubs. “We are really pleased with Jonah’s signing,” said Doswell.