Victor Wanyama: 5 Memorable Moments of Retiring Harambee Stars Cult Hero

Victor Wanyama brought the curtains down on a successful football career when he announced his retirement on Friday.

During his 19-year career, Wanyama played in Sweden, Belgium, Scotland, England and the United States while he also starred for Harambee Stars.

Wanyama had some high and low moments during his career but what are the ones that really stood out?

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Wanyama remains the only Kenyan to have scored against Barcelona and it was a memorable goal.

Just aged 21, Wanyama wrote his name in Celtic folklore when he rose highest to head past Victor Valdes as the Scottish giants stunned the Spanish side, the best team in the world at the moment, winning 2-1 in a UEFA Champions League game at Celtic Park on November 7, 2012.

It was a late goal that secured what looked like an impossible win for Celtic, who had a laughable 11% possession in the game against a Barca side that had Lionel Messi, Xavi, Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta among others.

On November 1, 2014, Victor Wanyama scored a stunning goal for Southampton as they won 1-0 against Hull City at St Mary’s.

The Hull City goalkeeper cleared the ball but it went straight to Wanyama who was 40 yards away from goal but the Kenyan curled in beautifully to the astonishment of everyone in the stadium.

In what he has described as his best career goal, Wanyama stunned Anfield on February 4, 2018 when he scored a scorching equaliser as Tottenham Hotspur drew 2-2 with Liverpool.

Just after coming on as a second half substitute for Mousa Dembele, Wanyama scored 60 seconds later when he unleashed a rocket past goalkeeper Loris Karius and into the top corner after the ball hand kindly fell to him from the shot-stopper’s punch 20 yards out.

On May 7, 2012, Wanyama became an internet sensation following a viral tweet about what he had eaten. Wanyama, then playing for Celtic, wrote on Twitter (now X): “I had spaghetti and it was very nice I enjoyed it.”

Simple as it was, the tweet gained over 40,000 retweets and over 38,000 likes, endearing him further to the fans. What’s more, the tweet garnered more interactions than one about Chelsea winning that year’s UEFA Champions League!

On August 4, 2021, Victor Wanyama, then playing for MLS club CF Montreal, was involved in a physical altercation with Josef Martinez of Atlanta United and it did not go so well.

With the game at 2-2 in the 79th minute, tempers flared and a shoving ensued between the two players before Wanyama grabbed Martinez’s throat and appeared to headbutt him before the Venezuelan pushed him away.

Teammates rushed in to separate the two but after a VAR check, both were sent off. The two would later bury the hatchet and even play together at CF Montreal but it was a rare moment when the usually calm Wanyama showed his ugly side.