Tyrone Kariuki was set for a life changing move to Croatia after shining for Kenya at the CECAFA U18 Championships in December 2023, but it ultimately collapsed.

Former Kenya U18 star Tyrone Kariuki has opened up on the factors that hindered his move to Croatian outfit Hadjuk Split following a breakthrough 2023 that saw him shine at the CECAFA U18s Boys’ Championships in Kisumu.

Kariuki, who played for the now-defunct Rainbow FC alongside the likes of Ryan Ogam and Manzur Okwaro from Division 2 all the way to the National Super League level, landed a lucrative opportunity to go on Trials with the Croatian outfit in June 2024 at a time when Rainbow were undergoing financial constraints.

He underwent successful trials before coming back to Kenya in August, with the club instructing him to report back in November, during which his representatives had seemingly already agreed terms with the side for him to join the club permanently.

PAY ATTENTION: Stay updated with the Latest Sports News in Kenya from Pulse Sports

However, an unfortunate setback during the CECAFA U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers held in Tanzania turned out to be a hindrance, as it created a sequence of events that resulted in the youngster being clubless, and left out of the U20 squad for the tournament which was held in Egypt last April.

“In my mind, I was training with Kenya Police with no intention of signing, and then the trip to Tanzania for the U20 AFCON qualifiers came up, and I traveled,” Kariuki said.

During the tournament, Kenya qualified by making the finals, where they lost 2-1 to Tanzania in Dar Es Allam, but Kariuki played a bit part role, only making two substitute appearances due to discomfort with her knee.

However, during the CECAFA U20 AFCON qualifiers in Tanzania, Kariuki suffered a knee injury that left him sidelined and struggling.

“During our first training session there, I suffered a knee injury,” Kariuki told the Tiki Taka Show. “I hoped I would get over it, but it got worse. I had to strap myself to get through the tournament, but I did not recover in time.”

Kenya went on to reach the finals, losing 2-1 to Tanzania in Dar es Salaam, but Kariuki only made two substitute appearances due to the discomfort.

“I was struggling in the two or three games I played, but there was nothing I could do,” he admitted.

After the qualifiers, Kariuki was expected to return to Croatia in November, but the move collapsed when his agents attempted to alter the terms of the initial agreement.

“When I went back to Croatia, my agents did not come to terms with the club because they tried to change their demands. I did not realise they had changed terms until it was too late, so the deal did not work out,” he revealed.

On reflection, Kariuki acknowledged mistakes in how he handled recovery from his injury. “The mistake I made was not going for rehab. I decided to sit around and relax, waiting for things to happen in my favor. I wasn’t even running, and only returned to the pitch in January,” he said.

Since then, Kariuki has trained briefly with Kariobangi Sharks and later linked up with KCB as he works his way back to form, still determined to revive the European dream that once seemed within touching distance.

Reflecting on why he was left out of Salim Babu’s U20 AFCON squad which caught many by surprise, Kariuki finally revealed the truth.

“My injury resurfaced during camp for the tournament, so it was a technical decision for me to eventually being dropped from participating,” Kariuki said.