Victor Wanyama has never been one for false modesty, but in a candid conversation, he did something unexpected: he put his older brother, McDonald Mariga, on a pedestal and handed the crown of Africa’s greatest to Samuel Eto’o.
The former Harambee Stars captain — the first Kenyan to grace the English Premier League, spoke with warmth and pride about a family legacy that, in his view, belongs to Mariga.
The reason is simple and seismic: Mariga brought the UEFA Champions League home. As a member of José Mourinho’s treble‑winning Inter Milan side in 2010, Mariga etched his name into Kenyan football history, a feat Victor says places his brother a notch above.
“My brother is better because he brought the Champions League home, and I did not,” Victor said, celebrating Mariga’s landmark achievement with the kind of humility that has defined his own career.
Yet Victor’s reflections didn’t stop at family. Asked to rank the continent’s modern icons, he surveyed a galaxy of stars — Yaya Touré, Didier Drogba, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané — before settling on a figure whose résumé is almost unrivalled: Samuel Eto’o.
For Victor, Eto’o’s blend of club and international dominance makes him the natural choice. Multiple Champions League triumphs, league titles in Spain and Italy, two Africa Cup of Nations trophies, an Olympic gold medal, and four African Player of the Year awards form a record of sustained excellence that, in Victor’s eyes, separates Eto’o from the rest.
Victor’s tribute is more than a list of accolades. It’s a reminder of how football measures greatness: not only in moments of brilliance but in the milestones that change histories — a Champions League medal, a continental crown, a legacy that inspires a nation.
In placing Mariga above himself, Victor Wanyama offered a rare, generous glimpse into the pride that fuels a family and the reverence he holds for the legends of African football.
