Kenyan football star Michael Olunga, the captain of the Harambee Stars and forward for Qatari club Al Duhail, is reportedly close to acquiring Swedish third-tier football club AFC Eskilstuna for Ksh48 million.
The Michael Olunga Foundation (MoFo) is facilitating the deal, aiming to rescue the financially troubled club and create new opportunities for young football talents.
According to the Swedish publication Fotboll Direkt, AFC Eskilstuna has been struggling with financial difficulties, including debts exceeding SEK 500,000 (approximately Ksh6.4 million) owed to the municipality and an additional SEK 3.3 million (Ksh41 million) to be repaid to the Agency for Growth. These debts stem from short-term support provided during the COVID-19 pandemic, which the club must now return. The financial strain has hindered the club’s operations, including preventing them from using municipal facilities.
Fredrik De Ron disclosed that the Michael Olunga Foundation has proposed a rescue plan, offering four million kronor (Ksh48 million) to clear the club’s debts. This intervention is viewed as a lifeline for AFC Eskilstuna, a club with a storied history of transformation. Originally known as FC Café Opera and later Väsby United, the club underwent several rebrandings before relocating to Eskilstuna in 2012 and adopting the name AFC Eskilstuna in 2016.
Currently, the club competes in Ettan, the third-highest division in Swedish football, and plays its home games at Tunavallen, approximately 110 kilometers west of Stockholm.
The Swedish publication Eskilstuna-Kuriren reported that Olunga sees this acquisition as a crucial step for the development of his academy’s players, providing them with vital international exposure and professional growth opportunities.
The Michael Olunga Foundation has been in discussions with AFC Eskilstuna’s former sporting director Mikael Larsson, who is expected to return to his role if the acquisition goes through.
Olunga is well-acquainted with the Swedish football scene, having previously played for Djurgårdens IF.
