APPI and KEFWA help stranded Kenyan footballers return home from Indonesia

• Kenyan footballers Brian Andaje and Sunday Adam Majimbo have returned home after months stranded in Indonesia
• Player unions APPI and KEFWA, along with the Kenyan Embassy in Jakarta, worked together to provide support and facilitate the players’ safe return
• The case highlights the importance of seeking advice from player unions before pursuing football opportunities abroad and the dangers of fake football agents

Footballers Brian Andaje and Sunday Adam Majimbo have returned home to Kenya after months stranded in Indonesia, following a joint effort by the Indonesian Professional Footballers Association (APPI), the Kenya Footballers Welfare Association (KEFWA), and the Kenyan Embassy in Jakarta.

The two players travelled to Indonesia in December 2025 after being promised opportunities to sign for professional clubs by someone posing as an intermediary. Despite being told they would have contracts on arrival, the players were never introduced to any clubs and, over time, communication with the intermediary became limited before eventually ceasing altogether. 

The players were left stranded with no income, and at one point were sleeping on the streets before seeking help.

“During one of the most difficult periods of our lives, APPI stood by us with genuine care and compassion,” said Andaje. “They didn't just help us solve our problems – they gave us hope when we had almost lost it. We will always be grateful for everything they did for us.”
 
“This experience reminded us that there are still people and organisations that truly care about the wellbeing of footballers,” said Majimbo. “We will never forget the support we received from APPI, KEFWA and the Kenyan Embassy.”

Unions collaborate to help stranded players

Without a source of income, Andaje and Majimbo struggled to pay for accommodation, food and other daily expenses. During their time in Indonesia, they relied on support from relatives, friends and members of local communities while moving between temporary accommodation. 

Eventually, acting on advice from acquaintances, they travelled from Bali to Jakarta in the hope of finding assistance and connecting with organisations that could help them return home.

Kenyan player union KEFWA, after learning about the players’ situation, immediately contacted Indonesian player union APPI to seek urgent support for the two footballers. APPI established contact immediately and met the players just days later. 

APPI helped cover essential day-to-day living expenses and the players' temporary accommodation costs before they were eventually provided with accommodation and a place to stay by the Kenyan Embassy during the final three weeks prior to their return to Kenya. Meanwhile, KEFWA worked closely with the players’ families and relevant stakeholders in Kenya. 

APPI Secretary General Gotcha Michael said: "No player should ever find themselves abandoned in a foreign country without support. As player unions, we have a responsibility to protect footballers when they face situations like this. We were pleased to work alongside KEFWA and the Kenyan Embassy to ensure Brian and Sunday received the assistance they needed and could return home safely."

Recognising that resolving the players’ immigration status and securing the necessary travel documents would be essential, APPI and KEFWA worked closely with the Kenyan Embassy in Indonesia. 

The Embassy facilitated the required administrative and immigration processes, and through continued cooperation between the Embassy, immigration authorities, APPI and KEFWA, Andaje and Majimbo were able to return home safely to Kenya after months of uncertainty. 

KEFWA President James Situma, a former Kenya international, said: "This case demonstrates why strong cooperation between player unions is so important. We are grateful to APPI for responding so quickly and to the Kenyan Embassy for its commitment throughout the process. Together, we were able to ensure that Brian and Sunday returned home safely to their families."

Fake Agents: A warning to players

While Andaje’s and Majimbo’s story ended with a safe return home, it also highlights the risk footballers face when pursuing opportunities abroad through informal or unverified recruitment channels. 

FIFPRO Africa in 2023 launched a campaign in collaboration with the Didier Drogba Foundation and the International Labour Organization (ILO) to raise awareness of African players being targeted and scammed by people pretending to be football agents.

A survey of 263 professional men's and women's players from seven African countries highlights the risks associated with unverified recruitment. More than 70 percent said they had been approached by someone claiming they could help them secure a club move, while 56 percent never received the promised trial and 44 percent did not sign the contract they expected.

FIFPRO and its member unions urge players to verify that an intermediary is licensed by FIFA, never pay an agent before signing with a club, and contact their player union for legal advice before travelling abroad for a trial or entering into an agreement with an intermediary.

Situma added: "Every year, players are approached with opportunities that seem attractive but have not been properly verified. We encourage footballers to contact their player union before making decisions about moving abroad. Seeking advice early can make all the difference and help prevent situations like this from happening again."

The case underlines the importance of FIFPRO's global network of player unions, which work together to support footballers and protect their rights wherever they play.

In November 2025, FIFPRO Africa and FIFPRO Asia/Oceania formalised a strategic partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening collaboration and advancing player representation across the most dynamic and diverse regions in world football.