Harambee Stars defender Ismael Gonzalez clears the ball during a 2029 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Ghana at the Moi International Sports Center, Kasarani in Nairobi on September 8, 20218.
In Las Palmas, Gran Canaria
Ismael Said Athuman Gonzalez, was born in Maspalomas, Gran Canaria in 1995 to a Kenyan father and Spanish mother. His football journey has not been one of uninterrupted glory.
The Spanish-born centre-back, who joined AD Mérida in Spain’s third tier Primera RFEF in January after several months without a team, is the son of the legendary acrobat and contortionist Said Athuman Mbaga, known as “Billy.”
Gonzalez’s international career saw him play 11 matches for Kenya’s Harambee Stars including in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Just when he seemed destined to become a key figure in Kenyan football, he vanished from the African football scene.
In an exclusive interview with Nation Sport, six-foot one-inch defender breaks his silence about the “ordeal” he endured under coach Sébastien Migné during the 2019 Afcon.
To fully understand his story, one must go back to the beginning. Gonzalez developed as a defender in Unión Deportiva Las Palmas, the club representing his home island, which now competes in Spain’s top division, La Liga. After his formative years in Las Palmas’ academy, he had brief stints with modest clubs such as Club Polideportivo Cacereño, Granada "B," and Fuenlabrada.
In June 2016, he made his debut for Harambee Stars against Congo in a 2017 Afcon qualifier. Two years later, he returned to UD Las Palmas, where, through effort and perseverance, he achieved his dream of making his Segunda División debut on December 5, 2020, under coach Pepe Mel.
However, his professional ascent was abruptly halted. From competing at the highest levels, he found himself in Spain’s fourth tier, signing for Real Murcia. Frustration, mental health struggles, and a series of personal challenges kept him away from the pitch for three months.
But he refused to give up and resumed his career, continuing his journey with third division outfit Sabadell FC, and later Aguilas FC in the same division, before joining his current club, AD Mérida.
Now, more determined than ever, Gonzalez dreams of returning to professional football and once again wearing the Kenyan jersey. Yet, his difficult past still lingers, as he shares:
Q: What is your situation in football right now?
A: Well, so-so. These past months have been extremely difficult. I turned down good offers, thinking something better would come along. I kept overthinking everything about being without a team. Now, I’ve finally signed with Mérida, and I feel excited, happy. My teammates have welcomed me really well… I’ve regained my enthusiasm.
Q: I’ll be straight with you. What happened at UD Las Palmas? Why that abrupt drop to non-professional football?
A: I’ll be honest. At UD Las Palmas, I never felt inferior to the other defenders. My defensive mistake against Rayo Vallecano cost me dearly. I failed to clear a ball, and their forward, Bebé, stole it and scored. Honestly, I think I was playing well, and we were going to lose that match anyway because the opponent was far superior. But still, Pepe Mel, the coach, held that mistake against me.
Q: Did you have any more conversations with Mel after that?
A: Our communication was very cold. He never said anything to me after that. I do remember one conversation when he first wanted to include me in the first team at UD Las Palmas. He told me he trusted me but that he wasn’t committed to anyone, that he didn’t care if I was young. Honestly, I don’t think he stuck to that—he was much closer to the veteran players. I felt like he picked me only because I was the last option; everyone else was injured… It was all bittersweet. Still, I’ll always be grateful to him for giving me the chance to debut in the Segunda División.
Spanish-born Kenyan defender Ismael Gonzalez playing for AD Merida in a Primera RFEF fixture at Extramadura, Spain on February 8, 2025.
Q: How did you feel when you signed with Real Murcia?
A: As stupid as it may sound, I thought Murcia was in Primera RFEF, not Segunda RFEF… It was a major setback in my career. Some of my friends still don’t believe it, but that’s what happened. At Murcia, I started going through severe psychological struggles. My world fell apart. I was on the verge of quitting football—I couldn’t sleep, I was training poorly. My mind wasn’t working, I didn’t feel like a footballer.
The club recommended that I see a psychologist. I went months without playing, thinking about everything I had sacrificed to get far… Finding myself back in the mud was the worst feeling. I didn’t want that. My cousin encouraged me to keep going, to pick myself up, as did my parents.
Q: You never spoke publicly about it, not in a press conference or to any journalist?
A: I never spoke about it publicly. I tend to keep my problems to myself. I didn’t open up, I didn’t seek help. I clashed once or twice with Mario Simón, the coach. I spent some time sidelined. He tried to help me, but I was defensive. I didn’t know anyone, and most of the time, I just stayed locked in my room. Everything seemed to be against me.
Q: Let’s talk about Kenya.
A: My entry into the Kenya national team was entirely thanks to my father. It happened when Las Palmas loaned me to Cacereño. I remember they asked my father about me. I think I was 18 years old, and I honestly thought I was being called up for Kenya’s U-19 team.
But no, I was going straight to the senior squad. My father told me about it, and I didn’t even hesitate—I immediately said “yes”. At first, it was difficult because of the language. My father was born in Kenya, but I am from Gran Canaria. I tried to manage with English.
Fortunately, the player who took me under his wing was Victor Wanyama, who was at Tottenham at the time. He helped me with everything, especially since it was my first time visiting Kenya. I was always with him in the room, and to this day, we have a great relationship. Whenever I go on vacation to Kenya, I always visit his family. He’s a very close friend. I spent last summer with them.
Q: You were really excited. The team achieved a historic qualification.
A: Yes, yes, absolutely. With Kenya, we played several qualifying matches for the Africa Cup of Nations. I remember the match against Ghana, which we won 1-0, securing our spot. I think it had been over 10 years since Kenya last qualified for such a prestigious tournament. We had a great team, and we made it happen. I was so excited, and I also saw it as a great opportunity because the Africa Cup is an excellent platform for clubs to notice you.
Q: What happened in that Afcon?
A: Well, after that qualification, I had the privilege of joining the training camp in France before the Africa Cup. I was in the squad, which made sense since I had played every single minute with Kenya. But then, what happened? When I arrived in France, Sébastien Migné, our French coach, completely changed his view of me and left me on the bench.
We had several friendly matches, one of them against the Democratic Republic of Congo. I barely played at all during that entire month. I spoke to the coach and asked him what had changed, as he had always trusted me before. He told me he was trying out different tactics.
Spanish-born Kenyan defender Ismael Gonzalez.
I was so frustrated that I almost left the training camp. I couldn’t understand why he wasn’t starting me—he had always counted on me. Even when I had minor injuries, he insisted that I play. We had a bit of an argument, to be honest.
Then I called my father and told him I wanted to leave. I was overwhelmed because I was only training, and on top of that, the sessions were extremely intense. It was exhausting me, both physically and mentally. I remember also talking to Wanyama and the assistant coach. They tried to calm me down, to convince me to stay. I cried a lot—out of frustration, out of anxiety.
Q: In the end, you stayed.
A: Yes, I travelled with the team to Egypt. I played only a few minutes—just 12, I think—against Riyad Mahrez’s Algeria because our coach was under pressure. When the tournament ended, I left the team without saying goodbye. I never spoke to the coach again. To me, he acted like a false and disloyal person. It was a complete failure, and I was deeply hurt.
Q: Have the Kenyan team management ever called you back?
A: Yes, they kept messaging my father, asking me to return to the team, but I didn’t want to hear anything about it until their attitude changed. Funny enough, not too long ago, Wanyama’s brother, McDonald Mariga, became Vice President of the Kenyan Federation. He’s a legend in his own right — he was the first Kenyan to play in the Champions League and even won it with Inter Milan. He has improved the national team. If he calls me now, I’ll say yes — I do want to play for Kenya again. I know he does things from the heart.
Q: By the way, how is your father?
A: He’s doing well, very well. As many people know, he performed all over the world, including in hotels in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Now he lives in Kenya, enjoying a peaceful life with the family. He had spent more time in Spain than in Kenya, so he needed a break. He’s 60 now and left the world of acrobatics behind a long time ago.
Q: Do you still harbour any dreams with Kenya?
A: I dream of helping Kenyan football—giving as much as I can, setting up an academy, a school, modernizing football in Kenya… bringing my knowledge to my second home. From the very first moment, I’ve felt incredibly loved there, and honestly, Kenya could even become my first home in the near future. I feel like I owe them a part of myself, and I truly want to contribute to Kenyan society. I’m going to do it—I’m very sure of that.
