In the world of sports, many athletes are approached by other countries to change their allegiance for a fee. However, former Kenyan footballer Dennis Oliech refused such an offer. In 2004, he was offered Ksh890 million to switch his citizenship from Kenya to Qatar, but he declined it.
Oliech stated that he loves his country and would not change his identity for anything. At the time, he was 18 years old and was considered one of the big names in football, making it onto the A-star list along with players like Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie. Despite the offer, he signed a four-year deal with French League 1 side Nantes for Ksh281 million in 2005.
However, in a past interview, Oliech expressed regret over not accepting the offer, blaming the lack of government support for local talent. He said that if the offer had come from Europe, he would have taken it without hesitation. He played for different clubs across Europe, including Nantes, Ajaccio, and Dubai CSC.
Oliech scored 34 goals for the Kenyan national team, becoming the country’s second all-time top scorer after Ouma Chege with 36 goals. He retired on January 9, 2020. Despite his initial rejection of the offer, Oliech stated that he is 50-50 on his decision, as he would have taken the offer if it was presented to him now.
