Raphael Mungai Kiongera

Kiongera was Gor Mahia’s most heralded sigining for the 2013 season. He had a sterling season while playing for KCB in 2012. He was runner up in the player of the year category finishing second to Dan Sserunkuma. He was the best young player in the Kenya Premier League in 2012 and was appointed as the captain of the Kenya U23 team. Soo good was Kiongera  that Gor Mahia’s Croatian coach Zdvarko Logarusic insisted that the club sign him for the 2012 season.

As soon as he joined Kogalo, Kiongera waltzed straight into the starting line-up and quickly found his scoring boots, scoring 3 goals against Anse Re-Union of Seychelles in the preliminary round of the CAF cup. He also scored the winning goal as Kogalo opened the 2013 season with a 1-0 win over Sofapaka. The goal was scored via a classy unorthodoxy backheel. He was however soon sidelined by a thigh injury.

Kiongera was born in Webuye, Bungoma county. He featured prominently for his primary school team as a goalkeeper. For secondary school, he joined Friends school Kamusinga where he continued to feature as a goalkeeper in Inter-Class competitions. That was until he was convinced by the school’s coach to try his luck as an outfield player. As a midfielder, he helped Kamusinga to a rare appearance in the western provincial finals. His parents and school principal were not enthusiastic about his enthusiasm for football and warned him, telling him that he was never going to be able to earn a living playing football.

In 2011, Kiongera joined Kenyatta University to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. While at KU, he started to play for Kenya Revenue Authority FC. It was here that talent scouts from KCB spotted him. He joined them six months later. After a stellar 2012 season at KCB, Gor Mahia came calling. He soon joined them on loan.