The Most Famous
SOCCER PLAYERS from Kenya
This page contains a list of the greatest Kenyan Soccer Players. The pantheon dataset contains 21,273 Soccer Players, 8 of which were born in Kenya. This makes Kenya the birth place of the 113th most number of Soccer Players behind Malaysia, and Sierra Leone.
Top 9
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Kenyan Soccer Players of all time. This list of famous Kenyan Soccer Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity.
1. Michael Olunga (b. 1994)
With an HPI of 45.80, Michael Olunga is the most famous Kenyan Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 34 different languages on wikipedia.
Michael Olunga Ogada (born 26 March 1994) is a Kenyan professional footballer who plays as a striker and captains Qatar Stars League Side Al-Arabi and the Kenya national team.
2. McDonald Mariga (b. 1987)
With an HPI of 45.16, McDonald Mariga is the 2nd most famous Kenyan Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 29 different languages.
McDonald Mariga Wanyama (Kenyan English: [makˈdanald maˈriɡa waˈnjama] ; born 4 April 1987) is a Kenyan politician and former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. In 2010, he became the first Kenyan footballer to play in and win the UEFA Champions League for Inter Milan.
3. Victor Wanyama (b. 1991)
With an HPI of 41.31, Victor Wanyama is the 3rd most famous Kenyan Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 42 different languages.
Victor Mugubi Wanyama (Kenyan English: [waˈnjama] ; born 25 June 1991) is a Kenyan professional footballer who last played as defensive midfielder for Scottish Championship club Dunfermline Athletic. He also plays for the Kenya national team. Wanyama became the first ever Kenyan player to score in the UEFA Champions League when he scored the first goal in Celtic's 2–1 win over Barcelona on 7 November 2012. On 11 July 2013, Wanyama moved to Premier League club Southampton for £12.5 million, making him the most expensive player sold by a Scottish club at the time, surpassing the £9.5 million Russian club Spartak Moscow paid for Aiden McGeady in 2010. In summer 2016 he moved to Southampton's Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur where he stayed until March 2020, when he signed with Major League Soccer club Montreal Impact. In March 2025 Wanyama returned to Scotland to play for Dunfermline Athletic under his former Celtic manager Neil Lennon. Wanyama has earned over 60 caps for the Kenyan national team since making his international debut in May 2007 at age 15.
4. Robert Mambo Mumba (b. 1978)
With an HPI of 39.47, Robert Mambo Mumba is the 4th most famous Kenyan Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Robert Mambo George Randu Mumba (born 25 October 1978 in Mombasa) is a Kenyan former footballer. He is a former player of Swedish club GIF Sundsvall.
5. Thomas Deng (b. 1997)
With an HPI of 39.39, Thomas Deng is the 5th most famous Kenyan Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 30 different languages.
Thomas Jok Deng (born 20 March 1997) is a professional soccer player who plays as a central defender for J1 League club Yokohama F. Marinos. Born a South Sudanese refugee in Kenya, he has represented the Australia national team.
6. Dennis Oliech (b. 1985)
With an HPI of 39.30, Dennis Oliech is the 6th most famous Kenyan Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.
Dennis Oguta Oliech (Kenyan English: [ˈdenis oˈgutɑ oliˈetʃ] ; born 2 February 1985) is a Kenyan former professional footballer who played as a striker. As a member of the Kenya national team, he became his nation's second all-time goalscorer, behind William "Chege" Ouma (35 goals), with 34 goals before retiring from international football in 2016.
7. Awer Mabil (b. 1995)
With an HPI of 37.46, Awer Mabil is the 7th most famous Kenyan Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 34 different languages.
Awer Bul Mabil (born 15 September 1995) is a professional soccer player who plays as a winger for Segunda División club CD Castellón. Born as a South Sudanese refugee in Kenya, he plays for the Australia national team. Mabil played youth soccer at the South Australian National Training Centre and with Adelaide United. He made his senior debut for Campbelltown City, before making his debut in the A-League for Adelaide United in 2013. He is co-founder of the humanitarian charity Barefoot to Boots, which aims to improve health, education, and gender equality among refugees, as well as equipping young refugees with sports equipment. In January 2023 he was named Young Australian of the Year.
8. Johanna Omolo (b. 1989)
With an HPI of 35.71, Johanna Omolo is the 8th most famous Kenyan Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 14 different languages.
Johanna Ochieng Omolo (born 31 July 1989) is a Kenyan professional footballer who last played for the Belgian club Oostende as a defensive midfielder.
9. Luo Guiping (b. 1993)
With an HPI of 19.65, Luo Guiping is the 9th most famous Kenyan Soccer Player. Her biography has been translated into 4 different languages.
Luo Guiping (born 20 April 1993) is a Chinese footballer who plays as a midfielder for Guangdong and the China women's national football team.
People
Pantheon has 9 people classified as Kenyan soccer players born between 1978 and 1997. Of these 9, 9 (100.00%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Kenyan soccer players include Michael Olunga, McDonald Mariga, and Victor Wanyama. As of April 2024, 1 new Kenyan soccer players have been added to Pantheon including Johanna Omolo.
Living Kenyan Soccer Players
Go to all Rankings
Michael Olunga
1994 - Present
HPI: 45.80
McDonald Mariga
1987 - Present
HPI: 45.16
Victor Wanyama
1991 - Present
HPI: 41.31
Robert Mambo Mumba
1978 - Present
HPI: 39.47
Thomas Deng
1997 - Present
HPI: 39.39
Dennis Oliech
1985 - Present
HPI: 39.30
Awer Mabil
1995 - Present
HPI: 37.46
Johanna Omolo
1989 - Present
HPI: 35.71
Luo Guiping
1993 - Present
HPI: 19.65
