Ambani's Comeback: Football Legend Details His Path from Reluctant Player to AFC Leopards Chairman

In a candid sit-down with Kenyan comedian and TV host Dr Ofweneke, retired Kenyan professional footballer Boniface Ambani recently opened up about his aspirations to lead AFC Leopards and reflected on his colourful football journey.

When asked where his football story began, Ambani responded cheekily, “Since childhood I’ve been ambitious—football has always been in my DNA. The moment I started playing and travelled abroad, I realised we have jokes in this country.”

He admitted that he never initially took football seriously, treating it more as a pastime.

“My mother never even wanted to see me on the pitch. I was studying accountancy in college, but somewhere along the way, I abandoned it. That’s when I fully ventured into football, and I was later appointed head of sports,” he explained.

When asked if football was what he truly wanted to pursue after college, Ambani clarified that his passion for the sport had always been there, even during his college days.

“I hadn’t left college yet. I went to visit my brother, Fred Ambani, who was playing football for Eldoret Rivatex. I used to train with him during the holidays. On my very first day of training, the coach signed me. Shortly after, my brother moved to AFC Leopards.”

He continued, “I was the hottest striker at the time, and eventually AFC came for me too, so I joined my brother. That was in 1998—the last time AFC Leopards won the league. Fred was the top scorer, and I came in second.”

When Dr Ofweneke asked about his first ever payment for an international game, Ambani laughed and recalled, “It was only 300 shillings. We beat Djibouti 9-0, and each of us was paid 300 bob. Our daily allowance was 300 shillings, and the win bonus was 5,000 shillings.”

The light-hearted conversation continued with Ofweneke asking how many goals Ambani had scored in his career. “I don’t have the exact figure, but it’s over 200 goals,” Ambani said with a smile. Ofweneke quipped, “I’ve only scored three!” sending both men into laughter.

Now, as the newly elected Chairman of AFC Leopards, Ambani has set his sights on delivering on-pitch excellence.

His vision includes investing in player development, quality coaching, and achieving high-performance targets, alongside strengthening community ties and boosting fan engagement.