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Olesu came looking for his dad and found football


Recently crowned best player at the Koth Biro tournament 21-year-old Titieh Titi Olesu always had the urge to find out who his father was.

Alongside losing finalist’s Black Mamba captain Eric Mata, Olesu won the honours after leading his team Makongeni Youth to victory.

When urge to link up with his father became too much to bear, in 2009 Olesu packed his bags and moved to Kenya to trace his father Martin Ogutu.

“I gathered as much information as I could from my mother and came to Nairobi. It didn’t take long before I found him. He is a businessman in Nairobi who grew up in Makongeni. I opted to move to the same estate,” said Olesu.

Brilliant outing

He has since developed a knack of scoring very important goals aside from giving his team 100 per cent, which has made him a household name in Makongeni, and in the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) where he plies his trade at Muhoroni Youth.

Muhoroni’s Titieh Olesu shields the ball during a previous match.
Muhoroni’s Titieh Olesu shields the ball during a previous match.

“When we played against Western Stima last KPL season, I scored the only goal that saved us from relegation. During the Koth Biro semi-final against 1000 Street we were 0-1 down and with just four minutes to go, I scored from a free kick to equalise. We won 4-2 on post-match penalties,” added the midfielder.

Olesu who played in his second Koth Biro tournament had a brilliant outing, scoring in all his team’s games except the final.

He said as a footballer, he always wants to win every game, a determination that makes him go to great lengths to ensure whatever team he’s playing for excels.

The Koth Biro win is a special achievement to Olesu, as it is a title that has eluded great footballers.

“The victory was a redemption as we were eliminated after two games in 2011 during my debut. We had to win this time because Black Mamba are our next door neighbours in Kaloleni. The bragging rights involved were too precious,” he said.

“In the final, I was tightly marked but I still gave my best though I did not score. In Kenya, if you haven’t played in the Koth Biro tournament you haven’t experienced the best football the country has to offer.  Winning the title is a dream for every footballer,” added Olesu.

The first born in a family of three boys and two girls has fallen in love with Kenya and feels more at home here than in Ghana.

“If I got a call up to the national team from both countries, I would choose Kenya because I love the country.  Ghana is known as a footballing giant, and I believe I can help Kenya attain the same reputation if not better,” said Olesu.

Favourite player

Should the call come, he dreams of playing alongside Sofapaka’s Humphrey Mieno, who is his favourite player in Kenya.

“Mieno is talented, he reads the game well and always knows what to do at what point of the game. He is also composed at all times. I think we would rip other teams to shreds if we teamed up at Harambee Stars,” he added.

Olesu dispelled rumours linking him with a move away from Muhoroni for greener pastures at either Bandari, KCB and AFC Leopards.