New AFC Leopards boss Boniface Ambani.
Boniface Ngairah Ambani’s football talent was discovered by teachers Lukas Erambo and Peter Liguyani Khamalishi who mentored and produced excellent footballers at Makhokho Secondary School in Ikolomani Sub-County, Kakamega County in the 1980s and 1990s.
“We gave students a chance to showcase their talents during inter-class sports events as we identified promising players for further development,” Khamalishi, who taught business studies at Makhokho when the public school emerged in the 1980s as a genuine challenger to Kakamega High and Musingu Boys football hegemony, told Nation Sport.
“I am excited that our wonder boy, as we referred to him those days, is the new chairman of our beloved club, AFC Leopards SC. I have no doubt AFC will go places,” added Khamilishi.
After completing his diploma course in accounts at Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology, Ambani was recruited by Eldoret Cereals FC in 1997.
He later moved to Eldoret Rivatex then AFC Leopards, Oserian Fastac, AC Nakuru, Kenya Pipeline and Tusker FC.
Boniface Ambani (right) receives his certificate after being elected AFC Leopards chairman in Nairobi on June 29, 2025.
The 50-year-old widely travelled former international striker, who was capped 35 times by Harambee Stars, is the third born in the family of mzee Ernest Ambani and mama Josephine Musinzi.
“My mother comes from a footballing family Abamakhaya in Khayega Location in Shinyalu Sub-County where my maternal uncles including the late Mwanga Masitia were great footballers in the 1970s and 1980s,” says Ambani.
“My father too played football while working as a military officer in Nakuru. I played alongside my elder brother Fred Ambani who is the current coach of AFC Leopards. My other siblings Vincent, Caroline and Alexina play basketball, taekwondo and handball respectively.”
The retired striker, who attended Shikondi Primary School, is married to Hellen Anyango and they are blessed with five children namely Sharon (25), Wendy (23), Dange (22) Chantel (18) and Nigel (14). Incidentally, all his children are basketballers.
Ambani, who has over 10 Golden Boot awards in his 15-year playing career, powered AFC Leopards to the Kenyan Premier League title in 1998.
He also won the Kenyan championship with Oserian Fastac in 2001 and 2002, won the Tanzania Premier League with Yanga Sports Club in 2009 and Cecafa Club Champions the same year.
Ambani chased after more fame and fortune with Dhofar and Al Helal in Oman, Bihn Ding and Saigan in Vietnam, East Bengal, Sporting Club De Goa and Salgaocar in India.
He even had a brief training stint with Orlando Pirates in South Africain 2009. In China, Ambani played for Baorong Chanba, Xian City and Zhejian FC.
Former AFC Leopards player Bonface Ambani.
After retiring from active football, Ambani coached Kangemi All Stars while in Division One in the 2014/2015 Nairobi West Branch FKF League.
He also coached AFC Leopards Youth team to victory in the FKF Nairobi West Branch in 2016 and the Kenyan Jamhuri Day Cup in 2016. He served as a technical director at Sindo FC, Mara Sugar FC and Nakuru Bucks from 2019 to 2025.
In between that he has been running a sports equipment company called Bochend General Merchants as owner and Chief Executive Officer, with offices in Nairobi, Eldoret and Kakamega.
Why did he go for the Leopards job. “Leopards was being run like a kiosk, so unprofessionally. I did not like that at all,” he said.
Immediately after winning the AFC Leopards chairman’s seat on Sunday with 1,101 votes against his sole opponent, Enosh Mutoka’s 682 votes at MISC, Kasarani Ambani vowed to redeem the club’s lost glory.
“It’s exciting to come back to head a club I helped to win their last league title 27 years ago. It’s now our duty to work and the work starts immediately,” he said.
The proven goal scorer promised to elevate the club into a professionally managed, financially stable and competitive club, firmly rooted in its heritage and passionate fan base.
He aims to implement transparent governance structures and servant leadership and achieve financial self-sustainability through revenue streams.
Ambani has also promised to deliver on-field excellence via player development, quality coaching and performance targets, besides strengthening community ties and fan engagement across all demographics and expanding the club’s women and youth academies to secure Leopards’ future.
“We shall try to see what the past leadership did wrong and put things straight. We shall give the technical bench a free hand to run their affairs,” said Ambani who supports the idea of Leopards turning corporate in future.
He has a four-year mandate to run one of Kenya’s most popular and successful clubs.
