24 Kenyan youngsters (12 boys and 12 girls) trained at SD Huesca after being picked from Safaricom Chapa Dimba Season 4.
SD Huesca, a club in northeastern Spain near Catalonia and Valencia, has continued to build its reputation as a home for youth talent. Recently, it hosted 24 young Kenyan footballers who had been scouted through the Safaricom Chapa Dimba Season 4 tournament. The players, evenly split between boys and girls, attended a week-long camp where they trained under professional coaches and accessed world-class facilities.
Among those welcoming the All-Stars were Denzel and Jibreel, two Kenyan teenagers who joined Huesca’s academy in 2023. For them, the camp was not only a chance to connect with fellow countrymen but also to share what life in Spain looks like.
“I was really excited at least one I’d get to talk my language, Swahili, you know, where not everyone speaks Swahili, even English,” Denzel said.
Denzel explained that his daily routine is tightly planned. He attends academic classes during the day, then evening Spanish lessons, before heading to football training sessions at 7:30 p.m. He praised the teamwork spirit at Huesca, saying players encourage each other with phrases like “no pasa nada” (don’t worry about mistakes), similar to the Kenyan phrase “game ni 90.”
Jibreel added that the football culture in Spain is more tactical and technical compared to Kenya’s physical style of play, making it easier to focus on skill development.
The Chapa Dimba All-Stars also played friendly matches and experienced what it feels like to live like professional footballers, from kitting and nutrition to structured drills. At the end of the program, Huesca coaches will select four players from the camp to return for a year-long stint, joining Denzel and Jibreel in Spain and expanding Kenya’s footprint at the club.
