Mathare United, recently relegated from the Kenyan Premier League, has announced a three-day recruitment exercise as part of their preparations for the upcoming 2023/24 National Super League season.

The trials will commence on Monday, 24th July, and will be held at the Goan Institute grounds in Pangani, Nairobi, starting at 9 AM each day.

Following their relegation from the top tier of Kenyan football, Mathare United has wasted no time in preparing for their campaign in the National Super League.

The team’s management initiated the recruitment exercise to identify new talents that will bolster their squad and help them secure promotion back to the Kenyan Premier League.

“We are determined to bounce back stronger and regain our position in the top flight,” said a spokesperson from Mathare United. “The recruitment exercise is an essential part of our strategy to assemble a competitive team for the upcoming season. We are looking for talented players who have the potential to contribute significantly to our goals.”

The trials will be open to players from across the country who are interested in joining Mathare United.

Aspiring footballers will have the opportunity to showcase their skills and impress the team’s coaching staff during the three-day exercise. The selection process will involve various training drills, friendly matches, and assessments by the technical unit.

Preparations for the 2023/24 season began immediately after the conclusion of the previous campaign. As part of their restructuring efforts, Mathare United formed a new technical unit that will play a crucial role in shaping the team’s playing style and tactics.

The details of the new technical staff are set to be unveiled in due course, indicating the team’s commitment to building a strong foundation for the future.

As the three-day recruitment exercise approaches, Mathare United aims to identify talented individuals who will complement the existing squad and contribute to the team’s success.

With their sights set on securing promotion back to the Kenyan Premier League, Mathare United is eager to build a formidable team capable of competing at the highest level of Kenyan football once again.

World record holder in the 1500 and 5000m, Faith Kipyegon, is scheduled to race the mile (1600m) at this year’s Monaco Diamond League (DL) slated for Friday 21 July.

Kipyegon broke the 1500m world record at the Florence Diamond League on June 2nd before following up with an even more breathtaking record in the 5000m in Paris a week later.

As she heads to Monaco where she was initially scheduled to race her specialty, the 1500m, before a change was made to have her go for mile, all eyes are on the 29-year-old as she goes for yet another piece of record.

Her feat in Florence and Paris made her the first athlete in DL history to break the world record in two separate disciplines on the circuit.

Many are eager to see her go one better and claim a third world record of 2023 as she is certainly the firm favourite in the race.

The two-time Olympic champion who last raced the mile in 2016 holds a personal best time of 4:16.71 in the distance, a time recorded in Boudewijnstadion, Bruxelles in Belgium.

Rival Sifan Hassan of Netherlands holds the world record in the sparingly- competed distance with a time of 4:12.33 which should be Kipyegon’s target in Monaco.

Hassan’s time has stood for four years, having been set on 12 July 2019 and was coincidentally set in Monaco.

Kipyegon goes up against Olympics silver medalist and Commonwealth Games champion in 1500m, Great Britain’s Laura Muir, World Indoor silver medalist Freweyni Hailu, 2018 African bronze medalist Habitam Alemu, Australian Jessica Hull among others.

The DL points she amasses will still go towards the 1500m qualification campaign even as the mile presens a new challenge for Kipyegon, who last ran the distance at a DL meeting in Oslo in 2016.

After a successful season which saw them gain promotion to the Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL) for the first time, Murang’a Seal FC assembled at Mumbi Catholic Church, Murang’a on Monday for a Thanksgiving Mass.

“God above everything,” the team proclaimed.

SEAL, an acronym for Sports Excellence Academy Limited, had a great run in the just ended National Super League (NSL) – finishing second behind champions Shabana FC.

Both sides gained promotion to the top tier set to begin in August for the 2023-24 season.

“We took time to thank God for his mercies and protection throughout the season. We went to Mumbi Catholic Church, Murang’a today to proclaim that we have seen the hand of God.”

SEAL would have tasted Premier League action last season, but management confusion in Kenyan football saw them miss the opportunity after the disputed 2021-22 season, run by government appointed Caretaker Committee was scrapped.

Founded by Robert Macharia, a lawyer who was inspired after attending a Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal in England and after visiting Southampton FC famous football academy, ambitious SEAL is already planning for life on the table of men.

The St. Sebastian Park club are expected to let go of up to ten players with coach Vincent Nyaberi looking to create a competitive squad for their FKFPL debut.

Players whose contracts with the team came to an end in June were not offered extensions while others will be put up for sale or involved in swap deals.

Right back Gedion Were, former Tusker Youth player Cetric Atsango, John Mwangi, Alvin Odoyo, creative midfielder Erick Sinje and Henry Omollo have been released from the club upon expiry of their contracts.

SEAL will begin their season with a potential thriller against Police FC on Sunday, 27th August 2023.

To witness Lionel Messi make his US debut might require a payday as big as his.

Tickets for his expected first match on Friday for Inter Miami in the Leagues Cup are selling for as much as Ksh.15.6 million ($110,000), according to a search on ticket reselling website Vivid Seats. That’s one of the most expensive ticket prices ever recorded for a MLS team.

Prices for some seats soared after the soccer superstar officially signed with the Major League Soccer team on Saturday in a deal reported to be worth between $50 to $60 million per year.

Still, there are much cheaper options available for Friday’s game. The average price is $487 (Ksh.69,000), and some fans are travelling nearly 700 miles (1126 kilometres) to see the match against Mexican team Cruz Azul, a Vivid Seats spokesperson said. Tickets to last year’s League Cup match between Inter Miami and FC Barcelona cost about half of that.

Prices for Messi’s MLS debut on August 20 against Charlotte are averaging $288, according to Vivid Seats, surging nearly 900% since early June when speculation began that Messi was coming to the US. Ticket prices overall for Inter Miami, currently dead last in the standings, have also jumped about 700% since then.

Messi, 36, is one of the most decorated athletes ever, winning the prestigious Ballon d’Or award seven times and was part of the World Cup-winning Argentinian side last year. His deal includes an option for part-ownership of the club and a cut of the revenue from new subscribers to Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass streaming service, according to multiple reports.

In an unveiling event Sunday, Messi said he’s “very excited” to be in Miami. “I come here with the same desire to compete, desire to win and help the club to continue to grow,” he told a packed stadium.

“Messi mania” extends beyond the field, too.

Hard Rock Cafe unveiled last week the “Messi Chicken Sandwich,” which is a crispy Milanese-style fried chicken breast that’s topped with melted provolone. The sandwich is now on sale at its hotels and restaurants.