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When Mully Children’s Family FC (MCF) was formed in 2017, they did not envision that by 2019, they would be two steps away from reaching the Kenyan Premier League. 

But that is the reality. MCF are set for their maiden season in Kenya’s third tier Division One next month after earning promotion from Division Two last season.

If they do well, the National Super League (NSL) could be next and may be KPL in 2021.

It is a remarkable rise for a team that was formed mainly to keep children from Machakos-based Mully Children’s Home busy during their free time.

With the Children’s Home taking care of underprivileged children from all corners of the country, managers from the institution realised focusing on studies alone may not be enough.

Meteoric rise

They then decided to venture into sports for those with the talent and desire with karate and football the first to be introduced.  Interest in football became bigger and this is how MCF was born.

Starting at the County League in 2017, they easily earned promotion to Division Two where they shrugged off stiff competition for a place in Division One.

“Football is all about practice and if this is done well we will end up rising through the ranks,” says coach Robert Orangi, who was raised at the Children’s Home and is now giving back.

Now swimming in uncharted waters, they quickly discovered that talent from Children’s Home alone is not enough and decided to enlist the services of a few elite players and this is how the likes of former Gor Mahia defender Ivan Anguyo found themselves in the team. 

“Anguyo works very well with the players especially the young ones. With him in the picture, we are sure of a win because he brings the experience which helps the youngsters,” adds Orangi, a former coach of NSL sides Kangemi All Stars and Ushuru FC.

Challenges abound

Their success has, however, not been without challenges. “We go through hardships training on a dilapidated ground but it gets better on matchday because we play on softer grounds,” says Orangi.

Captain Collins Onyango says: “Most teams that meet us claim we are just street children who were rescued and that we can never beat them. This makes us want to prove them wrong every time.” 

With this kind of resilience, it is not hard to understand why MCF have achieved so much in little time and who knows, they could be brushing shoulders with Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards in KPL in the near future.