Boniface Ambani: The Once-Famous Goal King Who Ruled the Kenyan Premier League

Boniface Ambani is regarded as one of the finest strikers of his generation following his successful stints in front of goal for clubs in Kenya and Tanzania.

Ambani also featured for Harambee Stars and had a storied career that also took him to Vietnam and India, winning a number of individual accolades and team titles.

Upon retirement, Boniface Ambani moved into coaching and football administration and is now the chairman of FKF Premier League club AFC Leopards.

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Like many footballers in Kenya, Boniface Ambani’s football talent was discovered while in school, having started at Shikondi primary school and then Mahoho Secondary school, before honing it further while at Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology.

While in college, he caught the eye of Eldoret Cereals and the club’s boss Eliakim Ongoli called him but it was not long before other Kenyan Premier League sides noticed his scoring prowess and started fighting for his signature.

Amid interest from Shabana, Chemelil Sugar, Nzoia Sugar and Rivatex, he chose the latter, opting to join his elder brother Fred Ambani, who was at the club but it was not easy against a star-studded side as he had to fight for his place.

Boniface Ambani played for Rivatex for one season, finishing third on the league top scorers’ list, and when the club folded in 1997 over financial challenges, he did not struggle to land a new one

Boniface Ambani would join AFC Leopards in 1998, linking up with his brother Fred again, and he scored on his debut to announce himself to the Ingwe faithful

That season, Fred Ambani was the top scorer but the younger Boniface Ambani had weighed in with key goals as AFC Leopards won the Kenyan Premier League title, their last to date.

He spent two seasons at the Den but the 1999 campaign was not fruitful as illness slowed him down.

However, in the year 2000, Boniface Ambani was among those who joined Oserian, then a struggling team in the Kenyan league that few gave a chance.

He was among a host of big names that were lured by the Naivasha-based club as they sought to lift the standards and that season, they moved from 12th on the standings to second.

In the 2001 season, Oserian won the Kenyan Premier League title and they retained it in 2002 although their big spending caught up with them in 2003 when the team folded, leaving Boniface Ambani without a club.

Boniface Ambani would soon join Kenya Pipeline but spent just three months before moving to Oman to play briefly for Al Helal.

Boniface Ambani would return to Kenya and join Tusker FC in 2004, a club he played for until 2006. At Tusker, Boniface Ambani maintained his ruthlessness in front of goal and it is here where he emerged the Kenyan Premier League top scorer as the Brewers missed out on the league title by one point to winners Sony Sugar.

However, his tally of goals during this season remains a hotly-contested topic. Boniface Ambani has always maintained that he scored 26 goals during that fruitful campaign but official records put the number at 21.

After his stint with Tusker, Boniface Ambani was set to move to Ethiopian giants St George but he got a better deal from Bin Ding in Vietnam where he spent six months before a call from a friend and Harambee Stars teammate Sammy ‘Pamzo’ Omollo to join him in India.

He signed for East Banghal in Kalkata state in 2006, spending one season, before moving to Sporting Club De Goa.

After two years in India, Boniface Ambani got a call that would change his life, an offer from Tanzanian giants Yanga came in 2009 and he took it although his signing was slammed by fans and observers as many doubted his qualities.

However, the lanky striker did his talking on the pitch and in his first eight matches, he has scored as many goals and by the end of the first leg, he had 14, including against bitter rivals Simba SC.

Boniface Ambani ended the 2009 season as the top scorer with 24 goals and completely shut his critics while becoming a cult-hero among the Yanga fans.

However, the following season, a change of coach saw the new tactician leave him on the bench for most of the matches and at the end of the campaign the frustration of not playing and an injury forced him out and he would soon retire.

Boniface Ambani, who was born on November 4, 1982 in Kakamega, made 12 appearances for Harambee Stars while scoring five goals and was part of the Kenyan squad at the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia.

Upon retirement, Boniface Ambani ventured into private business while he also took up various roles in football. He served as a talent scout and later as coach of AFC Leopards Cubs, the club’s youth team. He also took up advisory roles at other clubs such as Mara Sugar FC, who he served as Technical Director.

In June 2005, Boniface Ambani ventured fully into football administration when he was elected AFC Leopards chairman, succeeding Dan Shikanda, who had served his full two-year term.