Kenya’s eFootball Mobile champion Hanningtone Kiplagat will take part in the inaugural Africa eFootball Championship set for January 15-16, 2026 at the Cathedrale Sacre-Cour in Casablanca, Morocco.

The continental championship will mark an international debut for the 20-year-old esports sensation from Kibomet, Trans Nzoia County, following a breakout year that saw him rise to the top of Kenya’s esports scene after winning several major titles, including the National University Championship and the Kenya eFootball Mobile Cup.

Currently a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (IT) student at Multimedia University of Kenya, Kiplagat will compete in Group F, where he has been drawn alongside Mali, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe.

The tournament brings together 37 African nations, pooled into eight groups, underscoring the growing stature of football esports on the continent.

He has exuded confidence in his chances while terming this a dream come true.

“First of all I just thank God for this massive opportunity. If anyone had told me that I would be representing my nation on the global stage at my age, I wouldn’t have believed it because I just started competing two years ago for fun. However, I relish the opportunity and with the preparation that the federation has provided for me, I can say that I believe I shall make Kenya proud,” he said.

Meanwhile his coach Mohammed Nurki also backed the player while insisting that focus is key.

“Kiplagat is in fine form and he has been training with the discipline of a champion. The most important thing is for him to stay focused, take one game at a time. Any result whether good or bad should not get into his head. We want to start strongly and secure a knockout spot then from there, we build on the momentum and see where we get to,” said Nurki.

The Africa eFootball Mobile Championship shall see players compete using the eFootballgame, published by Tokyo-based Konami Entertainment group which recently signed a partnership deal with Confederation of African Football (CAF) as the oficial video game partner for AFCON 2025 and 2027 editions.

The game is also used by FIFA in their flagship esports tournament dubbed FIFAe which is held annually.