At just 16, Seedoph Zgoll is already living a dream that few teenagers get to experience — trading the club circuit in the United Kingdom for a place in Kenya’s Under-20 national team within months.
The Dereham FC forward is part of coach Gilbert Selebwa’s final Rising Stars squad for the 2026 CECAFA U20 AFCON qualifiers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where Kenya will be seeking a place at next year’s Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana.
Zgoll’s inclusion has attracted attention not only because of his age, but also because of the rapid progress he has made since emerging on the radar of Kenyan football scouts looking for talent abroad.
His football development has largely taken place in the UK, where he turned out for Dereham FC as a forward during the 2025/26 season. His performances earned him an opportunity to train with the national youth team at Kabarak University in Nakuru, where he impressed enough to earn a place in Selebwa’s final squad.
Now, the teenager is preparing for his first taste of international football and a chance to wear Kenya’s colours competitively. “To represent my country at this level at 16 is an absolute dream come true,” Zgoll said. “It’s a massive milestone for me, and I’m ready to give everything for the team.”
Zgoll is among a group of foreign-based players expected to add an international dimension to the Rising Stars squad. Sweden-based Yusuf Ahmed and Germany-based Quincy Waithanji are also part of Selebwa’s team.
But Zgoll is not travelling to Tanzania simply to make up the numbers. Despite being one of the youngest players in the squad, the forward is determined to fight for a starting place and use the tournament to accelerate his development.
His presence also gives Selebwa another attacking option as Kenya seek to combine the experience of their overseas-based players with the locally developed core. The Rising Stars have been drawn in Group C alongside Burundi and South Sudan.
Kenya will open their campaign against Burundi on Thursday, September 17, at 8 pm at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam before facing South Sudan at the same venue on September 19 at 2 pm.
The tournament doubles as the qualification route for the 2027 Under-20 AFCON, with only the two finalists earning tickets to the continental championship. For Zgoll, it is a remarkable opportunity at an age when most players are only beginning to dream of senior international football.
He has already taken the first step by breaking into the Rising Stars squad. Now, the 16-year-old wants to make sure his first international adventure helps take Kenya one step closer to Ghana.
