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Washington Munene chose to leave the game after being released by AFC Leopards in 2024.
When Washington Munene joined AFC Leopards in 2019, it wasn’t just a move to a big club—it was a dream come true. For a young defender whose late mother had always supported his football ambitions, donning the Ingwe jersey carried emotional weight.
But just five years later, Munene walked away from the game altogether after his contract with the club expired in 2024.
It was a decision that surprised many, especially considering his previous influence as a dependable leader in Leopards’ backline.
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But for Munene, it was a deeply personal choice—one shaped by injury, disillusionment, and the desire to find value and meaning beyond the pitch.
The turning point came in November 2023 during a match against Bandari FC in Mombasa, Tomas Trucha’s first game in charge following his reappointment as head coach.
Munene started the match but aggravated an ankle injury early on. Instead of asking to be subbed off, he pushed through the pain, determined to lead his team.
It turned out to be a costly decision.
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“I played through the pain, and that injury ruled me out for five months,” Munene recalled to Sports Eye Sports.
“It affected everything. When I came back, I was no longer the captain. That hurt, especially because I had given everything for the team.”
In his absence, Trucha stripped him of the armband and turned to other options. Munene’s influence at the club diminished, and as the months went by, it became clear that his time at the Den was drawing to a quiet close.
But while some players might have clung to hopes of another contract or sought out trials elsewhere, Munene had already started preparing for life after football. He chose to step away, not because he had to, but because he wanted to.
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Washington Munene: I Saw No Point Trialing For Another Club After AFC Leopards
“You leave football before it leaves you,” he said plainly. “And for us Kenyans, it is even worse.”
Munene said he did not want to get to a point where he was going for trials, getting turned down, but with no one bold enough to tell him he was no longer needed.
“I’m not saying life is like that for everyone. Some take that route and it works for them. But for me, life is different,” he said.
By then, he had already started Energy Sports, a business selling sports accessories—jerseys, training gear, kits, and more. What began as a favour for a friend turned into a full-fledged entrepreneurial venture.
Inside Washington Munene’s New Gig
“It was this one time. The then treasurer at Nairobi Stima—Lwanga—was a fan of Barcelona and Arsenal. He was looking for a kit and said he would buy it. So once I found some, I bought them and delivered them to him,” Munene said.
“The good thing was that I would sell it to fellow sportsmen. After I delivered it to him, other players started making orders. So over time, with the little money I made in the sport, I filled up my stock, and before I knew it, it had become a big deal.”
The orders kept growing. Slowly but steadily, Munene turned the side hustle into his main hustle. He immersed himself in learning the trade—pricing, sourcing, inventory, and even tax compliance.
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“I have been through every step,” he said. “It even got to an extent where people started asking me about ATRs. I never knew what that was until I went home and learnt that it was a KRA receipt. I have learnt so much, and the good thing was that I was still learning football.”
Ironically, football gave him the network and foundation to start a business that outgrew the very sport he thought he would never leave. It wasn't his Plan A, but now, he says, it has become his passion and new profession.
Still, the road hasn’t been without challenges. Munene admitted he lacked a clear vision at the start and struggled with trusting too many people.
“Ignorance. I got myself into something I did not know. I never had a vision for where I wanted to go at the time,” he said. “Something else is friends. Because you have many friends, most will take on credit, and it becomes difficult to get what you want.”
Despite the setbacks, Munene doesn’t regret walking away from professional football. In fact, he calls it the best decision he has ever made.
“I’m not one to quarrel. I decided to leave and go somewhere where my value would be felt,” he concluded.
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