FC Metropol HP has opened an unusual scouting window for Kenyan footballers aged 15 to 26 by bringing international scouting, recruitment, and performance expertise to Nairobi for a week-long camp designed to identify talent and create pathways beyond the local game.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsThe Nairobi-based football development academy has brought in SmartWork Sports founder Caleb Elijah Mack and Swedish strength and conditioning coach Bakr Abusagr for the programme, which will combine scouting, physical assessment, player development and exposure to opportunities in different football markets.##NAJAVA_MECA_9922022##The camp begins on Saturday, 29 August, at the KCB Leadership Centre in Karen and runs until Thursday, 4 September, with players from across the football pyramid invited to take part.Unlike many scouting exercises that concentrate exclusively on younger age groups, the Metropol HP programme has deliberately opened its doors to players already competing at Division One, National Super League (NSL)and FKF Premier League level.Metropol HP team leader Elisha Winga says the broader age bracket is intended to ensure that talented players do not miss opportunities simply because they have moved beyond the traditional academy age."We are here to give young talents a platform where they can be identified, developed and connected to pathways through academies, clubs and scholarships. We aim to make sure players can build a livelihood through their talent, rather than simply playing football without knowing where it can take them," Winga told Mozzart Sport."From Saturday and Sunday at KCB Leadership Centre in Karen, players will have an opportunity to showcase what they have in front of scouts and coaches. We are taking players from 15 up to 26, which makes this different because most scouting programmes concentrate on 18 years and below. Players in Division One, the NSL and Premier League can also register, come in and showcase themselves."TACTICAL ANALYSIS: A look at Harambee Stars forward's impressive maiden start against Real MadridThe two specialists arrived in Nairobi on Friday, 28 August. They will spend the week working with players as Metropol HP seeks to bridge the gap between talent identification and the opportunities available in professional football.Mack brings experience from several sporting disciplines. A former professional basketball player with more than 13 years of playing experience, he is the founder of SmartWork Sports and works as a professional scout across football, basketball and rugby. He is also involved in university recruitment in the United States through NCC, as well as recruitment in the United Kingdom, while specialising in elite athlete development.Abusagr, meanwhile, brings expertise in strength and conditioning and performance development, alongside experience in talent identification.His involvement gives the programme an additional focus on areas that are increasingly important in modern football, where technical ability alone is rarely enough to secure a professional career.##NAJAVA_MECA_9922044##Winga believes bringing together specialists from different areas gives the Nairobi programme a wider reach, particularly as football markets outside the traditional European destinations continue to expand."We are working with partners who understand different parts of the player pathway. Bakr is an elite strength and conditioning coach from Sweden with a lot of experience, while Caleb is a senior scout with NCC, which has a database covering more than 500 colleges and universities in the United States," he said."Caleb also has scouting connections in the Middle East, and that is a market that is growing rapidly in football. Asia, the Middle East and Europe are all markets that Kenyan players should be looking at, and our responsibility is to create the right opportunities while ensuring the players are prepared for them."St Mary’s Yala goalkeeper Johnstone leads Kenya’s charge in CAF Schools Championship qualifiersMack wants the programme to help athletes develop the qualities required to build sustainable careers both on and off the pitch."At SmartWork Sports, we want to help athletes improve their lives through skill development, personal development and physical development. We also focus on mentorship and exposure because sometimes the opportunity is there, but the athlete does not have access to it," he offered."Our goal is to help players find opportunities they might not otherwise be able to reach and to give them the tools to take advantage of those opportunities when they come."Abusagr is expected to place particular emphasis on physical preparation and performance, with technology and data forming part of the assessment process as the coaches seek to give players a clearer understanding of their strengths and areas requiring improvement.The initiative fits into Metropol HP's wider player development and placement model, which focuses on identifying, nurturing and profiling footballers before connecting them with clubs, academies, scouts and scholarship opportunities locally and internationally.##NAJAVA_MECA_9921984##The programme also assists players with professional profiles and media kits while pursuing potential pathways across Africa, Europe, the United States, Asia and the Middle East.Its stated network includes opportunities associated with football leagues and academies in countries such as Egypt, South Africa and Morocco, although placements depend on individual selection and suitability.Its work extends to grassroots football through initiatives such as the Metropol Christmas Charity Cup, an Under 15 scouting tournament that targets talented youngsters, including players from underserved communities.The tournament combines football assessment with mentorship and character development, reflecting the academy's broader emphasis on developing players beyond what they can produce on the pitch.