On September 7, 2026, Job Ochieng scored his first goal in La Liga. It came in the 11th minute of Real Sociedad’s 3-2 win over Elche and the Nairobi-born winger then set up the other two. The nation summed up its route in one title: from the humble Ligi Ndogo academy to Spain’s La Liga.
Parents consider this story when looking for a football academy in Kenya. The market now extends well beyond Ngong Road and fees, choice and outcomes vary greatly.
| The most famous Nairobi academy | Little League, Ngong Road, established in 2002, ages 4-21 |
| Published fees | Ligi Ndogo 2026 Kit: Ksh 24,000 or Ksh 15,000; Fazam, Eastleigh: Ksh 3000 per month |
| Dollar guide | Ksh 129.89 to $1, Central Bank of Kenya, 26 October 2026 |
| Choice of accommodation | Acakoro, Ndhiwa, Homa Bay County, opened in September 2025 |
| Federation Road | FKF and Acakoro scout players born in 2011, full scholarships |
| State route | Kenya Sports Academy and Nastik Sports Academy, Tarragona |
| Recent speeches | Job Ochieng, Royal Society; Amos Wanjala, Valencia; Aldrine Kibet, Celt |
Nairobi: Ligi Ndogo and paid model
Ligi Ndogo is still the reference point. It has been operating since 2002. Its website lists former trainees as Ayub Timbe, Jesse Were and Kevin Wang’aya. The East African Cup for teams from 7 to 19 years of age has been set for 21-23 August 2026.
The 2026 online registration form offers two payment options, Ksh 24,000 or Ksh 15,000, which is about $185 or $115 at the Central Bank of Kenya exchange rate on October 26, although the page does not say which period each amount covers. Families also provide birth certificates, school information and medical history.
Ochieng’s statement on the club’s website explains the appeal. “When I was 15, I was playing for Ligi Ndogo senior team in the FKF Div 1 league,” he said. Since 2020, his path has been through the C and B sides of Maspalomas and Real Sociedad in Spain. He was promoted to the first team in August 2026.
Small clothes cost less.
When Eastleigh Voice visited Fazam Football Academy in January 2025, it charged Ksh 3,000 for registration and Ksh 3,000 per month, about $23. Founder Feisal Mohamed said “some academies charge up to KSh 10,000 per month”. That’s close to $77.
Mathare United works from the community end. At the launch of the local project in Githurai in November 2025, captain Brian Ochieng said, “As someone who played in the MYSA zonal system, I know the impact it has on young players.”
Outside Nairobi: Homa Bay, Nakuru and Kitale
The boldest new project sits in Ndhiwa, Homa Bay County. Acakoro opened its residential base in September 2025 with a registered school on site. “We don’t want to draft players for the domestic league,” general manager Luke Scott told Citizen Digital.
Nakuru City Football Academy took 37 players aged 9-17 to Barcelona in December 2025. Parents paid.
Kitale shows that the school can do the work of the academy. Wanjala and Kibet came through St Anthony’s Boys, who won the national secondary schools title, and both moved on to Nastic Sports Academy in Spain. Kibet signed a four-year contract with Celta in July 2025. In January 2026, Valencia confirmed that 19-year-old Wanjala had joined VCF Mestalla.
State and FKF roads
Free routes are available. They depend on the choice, not the check.
The Kenya Academy of Sports has been allocated Sh245 million in the 2025-26 budget. His football connection runs through the Talanta Hela inter-county tournament and a deal with Nastic in Tarragona in April 2024 that features 23 young Kenyans.
The Federation has added its own layer. According to the FKF and Acakoro agreement signed on 9 December 2025, scouts were to evaluate players born in 2011 in five regions with the best full scholarship and a place on the U-15 and U-17 national road leading to the 2027 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar. “Kenya has world-class talent,” said FKF president Hussain Mohammed. “What we lack is a structured, long-term development path.”
In February 2026, 30 Central Region scouts graduated from the FIFA Talent Development Scheme workshop in Nairobi. Mombasa and Kisumu took the next places.
Our view: what clubs add
FKF Premier League clubs remain the weak link. In July 2025, Tusker promoted young striker David Polepole, who scored 15 goals, and defender George Odhiambo from the youth team. Later, Gor Mahia boss Eliud Owalo vowed to make the youth team the main feeder to the senior team.
Ksh 3,000 academy and Ksh 24,000 gets both training, matches and exposure. He doesn’t get any contracts. More recently, winning players have been spotted at a school final, national camp or international tournament, so a useful question to ask any academy in Nairobi or Homa Bay is which of those doors might open for a kid who is actually good enough to come through. Readers comparing the markets will find the same tension in our guides to soccer academies in Ghana and soccer academies in Abuja. The difference between the promise of youth and a big salary is evident in what Harambee Stars players earn.
Ochieng’s night against Elche will sell a lot of registration forms.
This article was last revised and updated 10 seconds ago