On October 10th, with Charles masterfully playing his midfield role, AFC beat Mathare United 2-0 to lift the cup. They will now represent Kenya next year in the Africa Cup Winners' Cup (also known as the Mandela Cup). The first disciple to claim a Moi Gold Cup winner's medal was Ken Ambundo, in 1997, whose team, Eldoret KCC, beat AFC for their triumph.
It was Ken (left) who reached out to Charles in 1999 when
Charles joined Eldoret KCC. He studied the Bible with him and baptized him in
June of that year. Ken stood out in the church in Eldoret for his deep convictions
about seeking first the kingdom. For a period he was kept out of the first team
because he would not cooperate with team officials who would attempt to bribe
referees and opponents in order to win games. Later on, after getting back into
the first team and helping Eldoret KCC win the Moi Gold Cup, Ken got an offer
from another team that was ready to give much better terms than KCC. But because
that team was based in a town where there is no church of disciples, he turned
down the offer. In the meantime God exalted him and he played five times for
Kenya's national soccer team, married an awesome disciple, Nita, and was fruitful
with several teammates including Charles.
Standing at 5 ft 5 inches (1.67 m.) and weighing 147 lbs (67 kg), Charles is not the biggest player on the park but makes up with skill, will and courage what he may lack in inches. When AFC's quarter-final game went to a penalty shoot-out, it fell to Charles to take the decisive kick. Despite the pressure, he slotted home the kick and put AFC into the semi-final thus keeping them on the road to eventually winning the cup.
Charles was recruited by KCC straight from high school where his school, reigning national high school champions at the time, were a game away from the title match when they were disqualified on dubious grounds. As happened to Ken before him, Charles got an offer from another club to join them, and that at a time when KCC was doing poorly financially and thus not paying its players. The offer was attractive, but because the team is based far from any church of disciples, Charles turned it down. But God was still at work, and towards the end of 2000, AFC Leopards, who had wanted for a while to secure Charles' services, made an offer of their own and Charles moved to Nairobi to join them.
The future looks bright for Charles. Already since coming to Nairobi he has been a squad member of the national team and has become a firm favorite of the AFC Leopards fans. In fact, he says, sometimes he is shocked when they travel to distant locations for road games and young fans are asking, "Where is Charles Okwemba?" His challenge, he says, among others, is to remain humble in face of his new-found status as a key player in such a high profile team.
Currently serving in the church as a teen worker, Charles says he recognizes that "God has given me the ability to do great things for him" apart from playing soccer, and desires not just to please fans with his skills, but to please God with his talents and become a great leader in the kingdom. While AFC may be the name of his club, for Charles it could stand for "All For Christ", because that is his heart, to do all that he does for Christ and to the glory of God.