Top Five: Kenyans we'd loved to have seen in the Premier League

Many would have loved to see Kenya's all-time top scorer grace the Premier League before retiring.

In 2004, The Guardian named Oliech - alongside Wayne Rooney, Robinho, Robin Van Persie, Wesley Sneijder, Gonzalo Rodriguez and others - as one of the top young talents in the world game.

Oliech had his career breakthrough with the national team in 2002 in the Cecafa Cup, where he scored five goals and emerged the top scorer. 

He is responsible for Kenya's 2004 Africa Cup of Nations qualification when he struck the all-important goal against Cape Verde which booked Kenya's place in the continental showpiece.

Although he moved to France's Ligue 1, one of Europe's major leagues, where he played for Nantes, Ajaccio and Auxerre, many hoped and wanted 'The Menace' to feature in the EPL.

He became the second Kenyan to feature in the Uefa Champions League (with Auxerre in 2010) after McDonald Mariga of Inter Milan, and made a lasting career marking in 2013 when he scored a brace against Libya to take his national goal tally to 34.

Mariga is one of Kenya's most decorated players, having represented nine countries in his homeland and abroad.

The promising starlet started his footballing journey with Tusker where he stayed for one season - 2003/04 - before switching to Kenya Pipeline, where he didn't stay long before signing for the Swedish side Enkopings SK in 2006

He later moved on to domestic heavyweights Helsingborgs IF.

Italian side Parma came calling for him in 2007 and the Kenya star stayed there until 2010 when he joined giants Internazionale.

Mariga achieved what remains his best ever career moment at Inter where he lifted the Uefa Champions League trophy under iconic manager Jose Mourinho in 2010. The club also won a treble that season as Mariga tasted the top level of competition.

Unfortunately, after turning out for Milan for four seasons, Mariga's star waned as loan spells at low-level clubs ended up becoming the norm amidst ongoing injury problems.

His strength and physique would have made him a potential star in the Premier League, where his brother Victor Wanyama thrived for Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur.

One of the finest forwards to have donned the Harambee Stars colours during his prime, and while the Naivasha-born star mostly appeared for Kenyan and regional clubs, his goalscoring ability was never in doubt.

Baraza remains an iconic footballing figure, especially after winning the KPL Golden Boot award four times in 2002, 2009, 2010, and 2012. His last big award was in 2015 when he scooped the SJAK/KPL Fair Play prize.

The veteran is now coaching KPL side Sofapaka, with whom he won the league title in 2009, and enjoyed many fine moments with the Stars, including unforgettable goals against Cape Verde and Burkina Faso.

His striking precision helped Kenya bag the Cecafa title in 2002, when he came off the bench and equalized when the Stars were trailing 2-1, sending them on their way to a 3-2 triumph

He represented IF Sylvia and Royal Malaysia Police, and it would have been fascinating to see how his finishing ability translated to the Premier League.

Musa Otieno is Kenya's longest-serving captain, having played for the national side from 1993 to 2009.

His time with the national side coincides with some memorable moments, including a 1-1 draw with a highly fancied Nigeria side in a 1998 World Cup qualifier, and the 2004 Afcon qualification campaign. 

At 24, and captaining a young side, Otieno and co managed to draw 1-1 with the Super Eagles side who had won the 1996 Olympic gold medal.

Brimming with big names such as Celestine Babayaro, Nwankwo Kanu, Daniel Amokachi, Jay-Jay Okocha, Finidi, Sunday Oliseh and Victor Ikpeba Kenya pulled off a draw as Otieno made a name for himself.

A fast-rising Otieno was among the victorious AFC Leopards team in 1992's KPL season, before lifting the same gong with Kenya Breweries, now Tusker, in 1996. The towering defender then switched to Santos FC of South Africa where he stayed from 1997 to 2011.

In the Premier Soccer League, and alongside Edries Burton, Andre Arendse, and the club's all-time top goalscorer Jean-Marc Ithier, Otieno won the title in the 2001-02 season.

Having won the championship at every club he played with, could he have also tasted success of some kind in English football?

Mambo is another notable figure who featured for the Harambee Stars between 1999 to 2009 and took the armband from another big member of the team, Otieno.

Mambo featured for clubs in Sweden, Norway and Belgium for the better part of his career, and was no stranger to the European game.

Having played for Kenya Pipeline from 1998 to 2000, the midfielder joined KAA Gent in Belgium as his first professional club in continental Europe, and stayed there until 2004, when he tried is hand with Orebro SK, BK Hacken and GIF Sundsvall in Sweden.

However, it was at Dalkurd FF in 2011 and 2012 that Mambo enjoyed the best career moments, as the Mombasa-born star played 36 matches and scored 19 goals.

Among top Kenyan talent who many would have loved to have seen feature in the English top flight, Mambo would certainly rank prominently.