Premier league teams Kenyans celebrate, support
The love for football in Kenya keeps growing moreso since sport betting got easier. Now Kenyans don’t just pay door fees at football arena or throng restarurants to watch games and then go home. Instead, a Kenyan today would place a bet, wait for the match time and watch knowing well that the premier league clubs will likely seal the bet win for them. This paints a vivid picture of how Kenyans go about their excitement with football clubs.
Today, a lot more Kenyans have a near fanatic support for major football clubs in the EPL, La Liga, Ligue 1, Bundesliga or local EPL. To also get a small bite of the lots of money in the sporting scenes, most people also go ahead to place a winning bet.
You can easily join the bandwagon and take your support for your team to the next level. One thing that makes teams in the Premier league a darling of Kenyans is the great display of talent there.
As much as some teams may be considered underdogs, they once in a while come out in a fiery fight with bigger clubs. Just last season, Luton Town FC rebounded back to prominence from relegation earning them great recognition among Kenyans, broader fan base.
Kenyans support for Premier league teams
Sometimes it may come out as sheer fanatical support for foreign clubs. But no way-the kind of sterling on pitch performance by the Premier league clubs can be so entertaining thrillers.
On a normal day when the premier league matches get played, Kenyans dorn their jerseys so early in the morning. It’s not only a show of loyalty but an interesting way people express their excitement.
Don’t be surprised to see Liverpook, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, West Ham and others wearing their branded merchandise. In fact just like the promotional garments that openly market betting companies, Kenyans too never shun from expressing their team loyalty.
Premier league teams that Kenyans keep a close eye on
With the 2023/24 EPL kicking off, many Kenyan soccer fans are already glued in to watch all the 380 EPL matches. It is based on nothing more ordinary but their desire to embrace excellent football that is displayed by the EPL teams.
Each fan rooting for their favourite team keenly follows the progress of their opponent teams. It is just a satisfying scenario seeing how football lovers are bubbly as they look into the red-hot EPL fixtures that are to run till May 19th 2024.
The intense attachment to the EPL grew the moment it turned out to be a global product and has since attracted the world’s best players. It is no longer just a scruffy English business but a global affair that has seen Kenyans supporting their own players at the EPL.
When it comes to soccer, there is nothing else but the love to support a well organised and classy football excellence displayed in the EPL.
There is no colonial hangover as many have continuously viewed it in the past but pure globalisation. This started with the popular love for the most outstanding football league in the world, the EPL. It remains to be one of the highly respected and many footballers and football fans in Kenya consider it to be the pinnacle of football competition. Kenyan football fans are in love with the football prowess displayed in the EPL competitions every season.
The best of EPL teams for Kenyan soccer lovers
When you ask any Kenyan football lover about EPL, you are likely to come across some of the most hilarious and shocking reactions ever.
For some, EPL is their closest haven after work and family and others will tell you that EPL is the best thing to happen to them other than food. Yes, this is just a perfect illustration of how deep their devotion to EPL goes. Here are some of the popular EPL teams that the Kenyan football lovers are looking out for in this season’s PL;
1. Arsenal guns for topcs in the premier league
Arsenal FC has received admiration and shun from Kenyans in an equal measure. But whatever opinions or sentiments one might have against this team, it never stops to bounce back each time people may try to write it off.
Former manager and coach Arsene Wenger did a lot of path beating to keep Arsenal in the minds of many youth today. Not to say that only Wenger brought Arsenal to fame, his coaching, prominence and presence on the field stood out for many.
You’ll hear Kenyans brag in their characteristic manner, mimi ni supporter wa Team ya Baba meaning Arsenal. It’s somewhat a princely tag to be both an Arsenal fan and supporter of Arsenal. Sometimes supporters of Manchester United aka the Red Devils chide those of Arsenal but that’s just the nature of football fanaticism.
The 2022/23 season was very kind to Arsenal fans until the very last moments. It really went on well until a dramatic last moment fall letting the title go to Manchester City. Arsenal fans have yet another season to look forward to in the premier league and they are very excited.
2. Manchester United down but not done
The Red Devils club ranks tops on the list of EPL teams that Kenyans like most. Any day the indomitable Man U has a game to play, fans would rather pack up their jersey’s on a backpack to work. Kenyan Man U fans love this team so much and spare nothing to display this love.
Man U players can be very fiery in their campaign to win the Premier League title. To this date, the club boasts of 13 league titles and still shows a great resolve to keep winning more. The quintessential Wayne Mark Rooney, Ryan Giggs , George Best ,and Paul Scholes among others have kept the club in the limelight.
For their great wins, Manchester United keps enchanting old fans and winning new ones. When you see so many people adorning red jerseys in Kisumu, Nairobi or other cities, know that Man U is playing that day. It’s all for the love of the game, undying loyalty to Man U.
3. Chelsea FC
Chelsea FC might have started it on a rough footing this season but that doesn’t in any way kill the spirits of the Kenyan diehard supporters. Now trailing its peers such as Manchester city, Liverpool and Arsenal, Chelsea supporters still believe it will pull a shocking comeback as the league proceeds.
So loyal are Kenyan Chelsea fans that despite the club’s several losses in a row, they would in a braggadocious manner call themselves the Blues.
Chelsea dwindling fortunes, high turnover of coaches
In recent times, Chelsea saw a change of coach and manager mostly because of underperformance and dwindling club performance. Whether it’s Mauricio Pochettino or his immediate predecessor, Frank Lampard , the club has been reeling in unprecedented defeats. So demoralising has been the defeats that Chelsea keep losing even at their homeground, Stamford Bridge.
Say what you may or animate the staggering goals that Chelsea has conceded but that won’t in any way dim the support a section of Kenyan diehard fans. There’s a measure of endearment and attachment that Chelsea FC wins in the hearts of its fans.
So loyal to Chelsea are some fans that they would adorn their blue jerseys on the match day, proudly stroll the streets of Kisumu city or Nairobi CBD. Even when expected to lose a match later in the evening, fans will have done their bit-showing their support for the Blues.
A tug of online war or arguments often arise between Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and other bigger clubs. You may just want to sit back and read comments on a day that Chelsea plays. Some will openly make comments like; wanaenda kupigwa tena, boarding a bus to go and be beaten, welcoming visiting clubs to be beaten thoroughly and many more such hilarious quips.
Some of the Chelsea players who got an endearing liking among Kenyans include Didier Drogba, Obi Mikel, Victor Moses, and Solomon Kalou. These players melted the hearts of many Kenyan fan bases and their echoes keep reverberating to date.
4. Liverpool FC
Liverpool FC stuns so many Kenyans with the classiness of pitch performance its players display. Surprisingly, not so many Kenyans are express Liverpool fans. Yes, you will come across diehard Liverpool supporters but it’s nothing compared to Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester city or Manchester United fans.
If anything, Kenyans who support bigger Premier League clubs marvel when Liverpool beats their opponent teams. So in some way, Liverpool’s brilliant soccer skills nudge Kenyans to covertly support them even if they have a primary preferred team.
In recent times and even now, certain players make Liverpool so visible and a darling of Kenyan soccer lovers. You talk of Mohammed Salah and Sadio Mane-living legends who decorated Liverpool FC’s image.
Whether praying in their homeground, Anfield stadium or in an away match, Liverpool players will always be at their best. Possibly this explains why Kenyans still find it irresistible to marvel at this club of living legends.
5. Manchester FC in the premier league
Manchester city has won so many league titles and Kenyans can’t help but love it to the core. When city has an impending match especially against any of the big EPL clubs, that becomes a must watch derby. Mostly such derby end up in a city win or a highly defended draw.
Whenever Manchester City has a match to play, bettors know that it’s likely to win. No wonder fans easily and gleefully stake lots of money just for a single team each time. Although the team sometimes end up drawing or losing, this can be countable.
People fondly say, nimepea Man city kichwa meaning they have expressly bet for the club to win. After all, the club has a great history of winning most of their matches with only a few cases of draws or losses.
The other teams that the Kenyan EPL fan base are glued on are;
- Tottenham Hotspurs
- Leicester City
- Southampton
- Everton
- Hull City
