Kenya’s rising football star Aldrine Kibet has signed a four-year contract with Spanish La Liga side Celta Vigo, marking a pivotal moment in the 19-year-old’s burgeoning career.
The gifted attacking midfielder joins the Spanish outfit on a free transfer from Nastic Sports Academy and will begin his journey in Europe with Celta Fortuna, the club’s reserve team. His contract will run until 2029.
Kibet’s meteoric rise began on home soil, where he captivated fans and scouts alike during the 2023 Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) National Term Two Games. Representing St. Anthony’s Boys High School in Kitale, he was named Most Valuable Player, thanks to his dynamic playmaking, blistering pace, and a remarkable knack for scoring.
He went on to shine at the 2023 CECAFA U18 Championships and later led Kenya’s U20 team, the Rising Stars, with an impressive five-goal tally, helping the team secure a historic qualification for the 2024 U20 Africa Cup of Nations.
Celta Vigo welcomed the teenager with high praise, describing him in a statement as a “young African talent” blessed with “exceptional speed, ball skills, and scoring instinct.”
The Spanish club views Kibet as a long-term prospect, eyeing a pathway from the reserve team to the senior squad in La Liga’s top division. Should he achieve that milestone, Kibet would join an elite group of Kenyan footballers who have played in Spain’s premier league—McDonald Mariga, who featured for Real Sociedad in the 2011–12 season, and Michael Olunga, who played for Girona during the 2017–18 campaign.
The move signals not only a new chapter for Kibet but also a beacon of hope for Kenyan youth football, demonstrating the growing visibility and potential of talent emerging from East Africa.
About The Author
