Earlier this month, on 3-5 April, I had the honour of presenting a research paper at the 16th Sports Africa Conference in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. My presentation focused on the integration of data analytics into grassroots sports development—a topic that sparked engaging discussions across the floor.
I also introduced Mchezaji, an app we are developing to transform how African athletes are discovered, developed, and supported from the ground up. My research explored how such platforms can inform public policy, enhance youth engagement in sports, and democratize access to elite-level performance tracking tools.
Mchezaji (Swahili for "player") is an AI-powered, mobile-first app designed for athletes, scouts, teams, and spectators. Built by Africans for African conditions, it fuses performance tracking, gamified learning, community engagement, and data-driven scouting into one seamless platform.
Our mission is simple, but transformative: bridge the opportunity gap in sport.
From teen footballers on dusty village pitches to school coaches in capital cities, Mchezaji is designed to empower African sportspeople to build a profile, track progress, and connect with opportunities that were once out of reach.
Forbes has reported that Africa is set for a sporting boom over the next ten years (from $12 billion in value to more than $20 billion by 2035), and that sports could be a driver of economic growth and social change on the continent.
Masai Ujiri, a former pro basketballer who grew up in Nigeria and is now president of the Toronto Raptors NBA team, says “Sports is the next big thing in Africa”.
But how do young African athletes tap into that potential, in Africa and globally?
Mchezaji was born in Africa but built for the world; it’s not a copy-paste of Western apps, but came from real conversations with Kenyan coaches, players, and clubs about poor visibility, outdated systems, and inaccessible opportunities.
Designed to level the playing field for African athletes, we are building Mchezaji for low bandwidth environments, offline compatibility, and mobile-first use. We are building a new path that begins in Africa but leads everywhere.
As sports investment increases in Africa, data can be the differentiator, and from athlete performance metrics to AI-powered talent identification and community scouting, Mchezaji creates a digital bridge between underrepresented talent and professional opportunities - especially for young players in underserved regions.
Our app’s features include an XP Ranking for talent spotting; a digital classroom for athletes and coaches to improve fitness, nutrition, mindset, and strategy; a community hub to build support networks; AI scouting tools to match athletes with coaches, agents, and teams; and tracking of grassroots and community sports.
Backed by a passionate multidisciplinary team of software engineers, AI advisors, sports analytics professionals, and designers, Mchezaji is set to roll out pilot programmes across Kenya, with plans to expand regionally as we look to partner with forward-thinking sporting federations, and investors ready to join us.
With the global sports tech market projected to hit $68.7 billion by 2030, there has never been a better time for Africa to own a piece of that future.
Gordon Gogo, ACIArB is an Advocate in Kenya and member of Young African Leaders in Sports (YALS) who advises clients on litigation matters, sports business, athlete management, implementing AI strategies, and governance.