For St Mary’s Yala High School attacking midfielder James Aseka Lukesvien, football is more than a game.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsIt is a bridge between the difficult childhood he has experienced, and the future he hopes to build for himself and the young talents he has left behind in his community.Aseka is part of the St Mary’s Yala side representing Kenya at the Federation of East Africa Secondary Schools Sports Association (FEASSSA) Games in Morogoro, Tanzania, where he has another opportunity to showcase the talent that has taken him from the grassroots to the East African stage.But behind the skill, confidence and composure he displays on the pitch lies a story shaped by struggle.##NAJAVA_MECA_9895135##The former Lake View Primary School pupil says his parents have often found it difficult to provide even the basic sporting requirements needed to nurture his career, an experience that has only strengthened his determination to succeed.Rather than allowing those challenges to become an excuse, Aseka has turned them into fuel.He says every time he steps onto the pitch, he carries the dreams of children who, like him, have talent but lack the resources to develop it.He particularly remembers youngsters from the slums of Kisumu and Butere, who train barefoot and improvise footballs because proper equipment remains beyond their reach.“My dream is to become a university lecturer and also a professional footballer. Through education and football, I want to build a better life and eventually go back home to support young boys and girls from villages who have talent, but do not have the opportunities they need,” the youngster told Mozzart Sport.“I know what it means to struggle for basic sporting equipment. That is why I want to make sure that when I succeed, other young players will not have to go through the same challenges I went through.”FEASSSA: Green Commandos fall to Urambo as coach Luche calls out officiatingThe youngster has already learnt that talent alone does not guarantee a career.His parents have struggled to meet the financial demands that come with football, forcing him to balance his sporting ambitions with his education.“My parents are not in a position to provide everything I need for football, and that has been one of my biggest challenges. I have had to work with what I have, but I have never allowed that to stop me,” he said. “I balance my academics and football because I believe both can change my life."FEASSSA: Bukedea boss explains why Ugandan schools continue to dominate East Africa"I want education to give me another path while football gives me an opportunity to reach the highest level. I also believe that one day God will open a way for me, and when I return home, I will be able to support the people who helped me along the way.”Aseka also dreams of taking his football beyond Kenya, where he believes playing professionally in Europe could give him the platform to develop further, while addressing some of the frustrations he has encountered in the local game.“My ambition is to play professional football in Europe after high school. I want to see how far my talent can take me because there are many challenges in Kenyan football, including discrimination. I want to compete in an environment where I can be judged by my ability and hard work,” he said.His journey has been closely linked to the growth of St Mary’s Yala, a project that has transformed the school into one of the emerging forces in Kenyan school football.##NAJAVA_MECA_9895182##Aseka has been part of the Black Saints project from its formative stages and has witnessed the team make history by reaching the national stage for the first time before earning a place at FEASSSA.The Kevin Oluoch coached side marched from the zonal competition to the national championship unbeaten, before suffering their first defeat against Highway Secondary School at the nationals.They later reached the KSSSA final, where Kakamega School edged them 3-2, a result that denied them the national title but secured their historic passage to the East African games.FEASSSA 2026: Kamusinga carry history and heartbreak into FEASSSA title hunt in MorogoroFor the young player, the rapid rise has provided a glimpse of what is possible when young players receive an opportunity.On the pitch, the attacking midfielder is not afraid to take responsibility.He can operate centrally or drift towards the flanks, where his close control, ability to carry the ball at pace and accurate ground passes make him a constant threat.Despite his relatively small frame, Aseka embraces physical duels and rarely shies away from demanding the ball when his team needs someone to take control.FEASSSA 2026: Nyamira Girls target title after emphatic start in Morogoro“I believe in myself and I believe in God. Whenever I have the ball, I try to know what I want to do and where I want to take it. I always pray before and after matches because that gives me confidence and strength,” he said.Aseka's FEASSSA campaign, however, began with disappointment as Yala fell 1-0 to Uganda's St Mary's Kitende on the opening day.Rather than dwell on the defeat, the midfielder chose to focus on the positives from the performance and the opportunity still available to Kenya's representatives.##NAJAVA_MECA_9895158##“It was not an easy match, but I was happy with the way we played. We have to learn from the defeat and concentrate on the next game because our target is to win our remaining matches,” he said.For now, his immediate task is to help Yala compete on the East African stage. Beyond Morogoro, however, his ambitions stretch much further.He wants to turn professional, pursue university education and eventually return to the communities that shaped him, carrying not just a football career but an opportunity for the next generation.