Taiwo Atieno - International Career

International Career

In January 2009 Atieno declared his desire to play for the Kenya national football team, telling a reporter for the Kenyan newspaper Daily Nation "It has been my dream to play for Kenya since I was 13". After Kenya's immigration minister stated that Atieno had to renounce his British citizenship before he could be granted a Kenyan passport, this seemed unlikely. Though reports the following day suggested he had received his passport and could play in the World Cup qualifier against Tunisia, this appeared not to have been the case. He made his debut as a late substitute in the June 2009 qualifier against Mozambique, played the whole of a friendly defeat in Bahrain, was again a substitute in the second qualifier against Mozambique, and played 46 minutes in the 1–0 qualifying loss to Tunisia. On 29 February 2012, Atieno returned to the international side after three years away, gaining his fifth cap, coming on as an 85th minute substitute in a 2-1 win over Togo in 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification.