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Spanish clubs have increasingly looked to the African continent for fresh talent in recent years. We’ve teamed up with Linebet to take a look at the history of Kenyan players in LaLiga and whether any others have featured further down the Spanish football pyramid.
Linebet Kenya is a betting company offering the latest odds on football via their website and the Linebet app.
Kenyan players in LaLiga
| Player | Club | Appearances |
| McDonald Mariga | Real Sociedad | 14 |
| Michael Olunga | Girona | 14 |
1. McDonald Mariga
- Club: Real Sociedad
- Appearances: 14
- Active: 2011-2012
The first ever Kenyan to play in LaLiga was McDonald Mariga. The Nairobi-born midfielder’s career in Europe began in Sweden, but it was at Italian club Parma where he really began to forge a reputation for himself.
Having nearly moved to Manchester City, Mariga eventually joined Serie A giants Inter on the final day of the January 2010 transfer window.
McDonald Mariga became the first Kenyan ever to win the Champions League in 2010 and was part of Inter Milan’s historic treble.
🏆 Serie A
🏆 Champions League
🏆 Coppa ItaliaAn impressive debut season. 👏 pic.twitter.com/qt9zJXXIll
— Squawka (@Squawka) April 6, 2019
While he was part of a successful team, he struggled to get regular game-time in Milan, and made a little piece of history at the beginning of the 2011/12 season by moving on loan to Real Sociedad, to become the first Kenyan in the Spanish top flight.
Still only 24 at the time, Mariga made 14 appearances for La Real, including 10 starts, before moving back to Parma on loan in the January window.
At the time, Real Sociedad were only a bottom half LaLiga outfit under the guidance of Frenchman Philippe Montanier. That’s despite having talents like Antoine Griezmann and Carlos Vela at their disposal.
2. Michael Olunga
- Club: Girona
- Appearances: 14
- Active: 2017-2018
Six seasons later, the second Kenyan international to feature in LaLiga was Michael Olunga. He joined newly promoted Girona on a season long loan from Chinese side Guizhou in the summer of 2017.
Already a prolific scorer for his national team, Olunga was eager to prove himself in one of the big European leagues, but he initially struggled to convince boss Pablo Machin and endured a frustrating period as he waited for his opportunity.
That all changed on 13th January 2018, a date that will live long in the memory for Kenyan fans of LaLiga. With Girona already a goal up at home to Las Palmas, Olunga replaced Cristhian Stuani at the break, and took just 12 minutes to become the first Kenyan goalscorer in LaLiga.
Olunga wasn’t done, completing a stunning hat-trick in the game as Machin’s team cruised to a 6-0 win. He also made a slice of history that day, by becoming the first Girona player to score a hat-trick in the Spanish top flight.
That game was very much as good as it got though for Olunga in LaLiga. He moved to Korea at the end of the season, having only started four matches in the league for the Catalan club and having failed to add to his three goal tally.
Other Kenyan players in Spain
No Kenyan has played in the top tier of Spanish football since Olunga’s spell at Girona. However, central defender Ismael Athuman did briefly appear for Las Palmas in the Segunda Division, while he has also played further down the pyramid with the likes of Cacereño, Fuenlabrada, Real Murcia, Sabadell and most recently Aguilas.
While Athuman was born in the Canary Islands to a Kenyan father and Spanish mother, he opted to represent Kenya at international level, appearing 11 times for the Harambee Stars.
Real Sociedad also currently have a Kenyan youngster on their books by the name of Job Nguono Ochieng. Born in Nairobi, the 21-year-old has made 29 appearances for La Real’s B team in the Spanish third tier where he remains active as of the 2024/25 season. He is known for his pace and ability to play as a forward or a winger.
