Having come up from Kibera, David “Messi” Owino wants to use his spell at Bandari FC to get back into the Harambee Stars squad, for whom his first cap came back in March 2021, against South Sudan.
On 19 October, David “Messi” Owino wasted no time. On the SportPesa Premier League pitch against 3K FC, the Bandari FC midfielder opened the scoring after 39 seconds with a powerful strike born from a poorly cleared corner. A flash of lightning that sums up the player’s ambition, as he is determined to make his mark on his new club, The Star Kenya reports.
Because behind that express goal, a bigger objective is taking shape. At 28, the former Kenya Police FC player hopes to relaunch his ambitions with the Harambee Stars.
A lightning goal, not a win
The opening goal was not enough, though. Bandari did not win that match, having been pegged back late on, and the player draws a blunt lesson from it. “We cannot be satisfied with draws when we have the quality to win,” he told The Star Kenya, adding that the team must “stay focused, take our chances and learn from every match”.
That 39th-second goal illustrates the versatility the midfielder claims for himself. Capable of playing at left-back, in midfield or in advanced attacking positions, he sees that flexibility as an asset for the team: “Being versatile is an advantage because it gives the coach different options. I am comfortable in different positions, and I always focus on the work the team needs,” he explained.
From Kibera to the Mozzart Bet Cup
It was in Kibera, where his journey began, that he took his first steps, and today he hopes to inspire the young footballers of the neighbourhood. Before Bandari, he wore the colours of Mathare United and KCB.
With Kenya Police FC, he won the 2024 Mozzart Bet Cup and was named MVP of the tournament. He now wants to help Bandari “compete at the highest level”: “I joined a club with ambition and my responsibility is to give everything every time I step onto the pitch,” he told The Star Kenya.
The national team in his sights
Then there is the question of the Harambee Stars. The player makes no secret of his desire to return, without promising anything: “Every Kenyan player wants to represent the country. I believe that regular performances at Bandari can put me back in the running and I will keep working for that.”
No call-up is guaranteed, and no match date is specified. For now, the next chapter is being written with Bandari, where the season goes on.