Anthony Akumu: Football is paying my bills, and I’m loving it

They are here to see their nine-year-old son Liam go through a football training session.

Carrying a portable chair, Akumu exchanges pleasantries with a few friends before settling down at the edge of the building next to the pitch, keenly watching the budding footballers of Soka Talent Academy go through their paces.

Liam is a member of the academy.

It is this simplicity and calm demeanor that have come to define Akumu’s football career, which spans two decades.

Behind the scenes, the midfielder stands out as one of the few Kenyan footballers, whose lives have been significantly transformed by the sport, thanks to prudent financial decisions.

From the time he started kicking a ball when he was about six years old on the dusty pitches of Mathare Valley in Nairobi’s Mathare Slums, the sport has seen him travel around the world, changing his life for the better.

“Football is good, it pays,” Akumu, who currently turns out for Lebanese Premier League side Nejmeh Sporting Club, tells Nation Sport.

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Before that he had turned out for six top clubs in different countries: Kenya’s Gor Mahia (2010-2014), Sudan’s Al Khartoum (2014-2015), Zambia’s Zesco United (2016 to 2020), South Africa’s Kaizer Chiefs (2020-2022), Japanese Sagan Tosu (2023-2024) and Iran’s Kheybar Khorramabad (2024-2025).

Out of all these teams, Akumu singles out his stint with Kaizer Chiefs as the most financially rewarding of his career.

Hejoined the “AmaKhosi” (Kings) on a three-and-a-half year deal, but ended up spending two-and-a-half years at the Johannesburg-based club, a stint that earned him about Sh75 million, including the sign-on fees. Akumu says he earned a monthly salary of Sh1.5 million, which increased by 10 per cent every six months.

The sign-on fee, which was about Sh30 million, also rose at the same rate and over the same intervals.

“It was good money for the two and a half years that I stayed at the club (Kaizer Chiefs). I was able to do one or two meaningful things of significance with the money,” Akumu says, adding that he would have earned about Sh100 million had he seen out his contract with Chiefs.

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The product of Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) explains that his exit from Chiefs after the club listed him among the surplus players whose contracts were either to be terminated or sold.

Thanks to his well-travelled football career, Akumu, who has represented Harambee Stars since 2011, reveals he lives with his family in a five-bedroom, single-storey “mansion” in Chokaa, Nairobi.

He estimates the cost of constructing the house to be between Sh15 million and Sh20 million.

Through football, the midfielder further reveals that he has also ventured into real estate and owns a fleet of cars, including luxury models.

In Chokaa, he owns a three-storey building of nine units.

Six of the units are one-bedroom, while the other three are two-bedroom ones.

Meanwhile, in Njiru, Akumu is putting the final touches on a six-storey building of 12 units. All the units are two-bedroom.

When it comes to cars, his impressive collections are a Toyota Land Cruiser V8, which he bought for Sh8 million, an Audi S3 Sports which cost slightly over Sh3 million and a Mazda Demio which he used to run errands.

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“Football has been my life. Even if you look at the few meaningful things I have done, it is because of football. Football has given me a home and a good family,” beams the Mathare Primary School and Maina Wanjigi Secondary School old boy.

“Our family never owned a car, even my dad did not have one, so I thank God for blessing me with a football talent,” he adds.

Akumu credits his wife Sarah for much of his success both on the pitch and in his investments.

“She is the one who puts me on my toes; maybe if she was not around, I would have misused the money.”

Sarah is a former footballer, who featured for Mathare United Women’s team and national team, Harambee Starlets.

Akumu says that, while he is busy with his club commitments abroad, it is his wife who manages most of their affairs, including their real estate projects.

Unknown to many, he is also a committed philanthropist.

He reveals that for seven months during the Covid-19 pandemic, alongside his wife, he supported several families and continues to assist many others, including paying school fees for learners from humble backgrounds.

Without revealing the exact amount they spent on the initiative, Akumu said they could have owned four more apartments had they not helped others during the pandemic.

“During that time (Covid-19 pandemic), a lot of my money went into supporting families that were struggling. If I were someone who was stingy, maybe we would own four other apartments now. But I have no regrets at all, we did that with a good heart,” he states.

Having experienced firsthand that talent pays, he says this is why they are giving Liam all the necessary support.

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His wish for him?

“I want to see him reach greater heights than me. I hope he gets the opportunity to play in Europe. Every day I pray for him and motivate him, and also encourage him to work harder,” he says, adding that his daughter will receive the same support once her talent is recognised.

 He says he has no plans to hang up his boots anytime soon. He also has no intentions of ever returning to play locally.

“I just want to continue playing abroad because it gives me peace of mind. When you are playing abroad, you don’t think about many things. Then financially, it helps you to save a lot because you don’t have many expenses. The clubs provide you with a house and a car,” he states.

And what are his plans after football?

Despite his many years in the game, he confesses he has never thought about coaching or getting involved with a club.

“I think I just want to concentrate on my businesses,” he says.

So far so good for this Kenya internation who still wants to play the game at the highest level for many more years

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