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Dav8 has gone from a passionate gamer in Thika to a Santiago eHub rising star preparing to represent Kenya in Rwanda. That journey did not happen overnight.
There was no magic tournament that suddenly turned David Owuor into a serious FC player. There were losses, doubts, long training sessions, changes of team and even a point when he wondered whether competitive gaming was really for him. But there was one thing he kept holding on to. Self belief.
For a player who says he has always trusted progress, no matter how small, the opportunity waiting for him in Rwanda feels like the next reward for years of work. The SportsBiz Africa Esports Cup will bring some of Africa’s best FC 26 players together in Kigali. And David will be there with Kenya’s name beside his.
| Quick Facts | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | David Owuor |
| Gaming Name | Dav8 |
| Born | December 13, 2005 |
| Hometown | Thika |
| Started Playing FIFA | 2014 |
| First Serious FIFA | FIFA 21 |
| Team | Santiago eHub |
| Playing Style | Tiki taka football |
| Biggest Strength | Controlling the game |
| Studies | Hospitality, Mount Kenya University |
| SportsBiz Goal | Represent Kenya on the continental stage |
From Thika to Competitive FC
David was born on December 13, 2005, and grew up in Thika. His relationship with FIFA started much earlier. He first picked up the game in 2014, although FIFA 21 was the first edition he says he played seriously.
At first, there was no grand plan to become a professional esports player. There was simply passion. That passion eventually pushed him toward competitive gaming and, more importantly, toward a scene he was still learning about. His first major introduction to the competitive world came through a tournament featuring some big names at the time, including Mcoasty, Collo Gamer and Kora. He finished fourth.
For someone still discovering competitive FC, that result meant more than just a position on a leaderboard. It opened his eyes. He started seeing gaming differently. There were serious players. There were serious tournaments. And there was a path he could potentially follow. That was when the idea of becoming more than just another gamer started becoming real.
Why Santiago eHub Became So Important for Dav8
The next step was finding somewhere he could actually take FC seriously. For David, the answer was close to home. Santiago eHub was in his hometown, and after looking through the team’s Instagram page, he began to understand that competitive gaming was not just people playing for fun.
ALSO READ: Santiago eHub: Roster, Records & Team History
There were players training. There were tournaments. There was a community. There was an actual esports scene being built.
“I wanted somewhere I could play FC seriously,” he explained.
That decision would have a huge impact on his development. Santiago became much more than a place where he could play. It became the environment where he started learning what professional FC demanded.
Training alongside players such as Mcoasty, Derro and Termuna helped him understand the difference between casually playing FIFA and actually preparing to compete. He gives a lot of credit to Soka Suleiman (Santiago manager), Mcoasty, Termuna and Derro for helping him during that period.
What stands out most is that they did not look down on him because he was still an amateur. They trained him. They pushed him. And they allowed him to learn. That helped change his understanding of what he could become.
“I’ve learnt many tactics and game ideas from my teammates when I was starting gaming,” he said.
That development has continued. And being around a team that has produced and supported competitive players has also given him a bigger view of where Kenyan esports could go.
He points to players such as Prorate and Shaq as examples of players helping build the name of esports. For him, that is proof that the industry is not just an idea. It is slowly being built in front of them.
The Moment He Nearly Gave Up
Every competitive player eventually reaches that point where the excitement disappears and reality hits. For David, it came only about two months after joining the scene. He saw the level of competition at tournaments and realized how much better some of the players were.
For a young player still finding his feet, that can be discouraging. He seriously considered giving up. But instead of walking away, he chose patience. His self belief kicked in.
He decided he needed to train more, improve gradually and stop expecting everything to happen immediately. That decision may have been one of the most important moments of his career. Because competitive gaming is full of players who are talented enough to go far but leave before they ever discover their ceiling.
David stayed. He kept playing. He kept learning. And he kept believing that small improvements would eventually become something bigger.
Building a Name Was the Hardest Part for Dav8
David says one of the hardest parts of his career has been building his name among the top gamers. That is something many young Kenyan players can relate to.
The country has a growing FC scene, but getting noticed is not easy.There are established players. There are new players arriving every year. And every tournament brings another chance to prove yourself. Interestingly, David does not believe he is fundamentally different from other Kenyan gamers.
Instead, that realization gave him confidence.
“I don’t think there’s any difference between another Kenyan gamer and I and that’s what made me realize I can climb the top.”
The PnP Chapter and the Decision to Return
David’s journey with Santiago was not completely straightforward. There was a period when he stepped away from gaming for two months. When he returned, he briefly joined PlugnPlay Esports, spending about a month there before eventually going back to Santiago.
So why return? The answer says a lot about what Santiago meant to his development. David explained that training with Mcoasty had become a major part of his growth.
“When you’re missing that one training headache that sharpens you,” he said, you notice it.
That training pressure was something he wanted back. For David, a good teammate is not necessarily the person who makes training easy. Sometimes it is the player who makes you uncomfortable. The player who exposes your weaknesses. The player who forces you to think harder. The player who makes you leave a session knowing you have to improve. That is what Mcoasty had become for him. And eventually, he returned to Santiago.
Finding His Own Identity on the Virtual Pitch
So what kind of player is David? His answer is simple. Tiki taka football. He likes controlling games rather than simply rushing forward and hoping something happens. His biggest strength is also the part of the game that matches his style: Controlling the game.
That does not mean he believes he has already mastered everything. Far from it. He is still trying to improve and understands that reaching the next level requires more work.
His hardest Kenyan opponent is Shaq, while he names Caesar as his biggest rival. He also has huge respect for Makuer, while Mcoasty remains the player he says has helped his game improve the most.
His training numbers tell another part of the story. On a good day, he can train for around 10 hours. When preparing for a major tournament, that can rise to 12 hours.
And unlike some players who spend a lot of time studying opponents, David says he mainly focuses on his own game. The idea is simple. Make your own game strong enough first.
The Finals That Made Him Stronger
One of the more interesting parts of David’s story is his relationship with losing finals. He reached the final of the Kenya Esports Series, Nakuru edition, in October 2025, only to lose to Fab Pepe.
But he continued to show up. There were finals that did not go his way, but instead of allowing those losses to destroy his confidence, they had almost the opposite effect.
He says losing those finals pushed his confidence higher and urged him to correct his mistakes and come back better. That is a significant change from the player who once considered quitting because the competition looked too strong. The losses are still there. But his reaction to them has changed. And that is often where a competitive player starts to grow.
Dav8’s Biggest Weekend Yet
The recent Kenya Gaming Festival provided another sign that David is moving in the right direction. He reached the grand final from the winners’ bracket, putting himself in a position to win the tournament before eventually losing to Shaq.
His run did not end there as he prodced another amazing run the next day at the Ultimate Controller League. He reached the final of the winner’s bracket but lost to Shaq. After dropping into the losers’ bracket, he fought again but eventually suffered defeat in the hands of Prorate, finishing third. On paper, third place is the headline. But the bigger story is the consistency. David had put himself in contention twice during the same weekend. That mattered to him.
When asked whether making the podium twice changed the way he saw himself as a player, his answer was clear.
“Yes despite losing the finals twice it still pushed up my confidence and urged me to correct and comeback better.”
Rwanda Is the Next Test
Now comes the biggest opportunity of his career so far. The SportsBiz Africa Esports Cup in Kigali. For David, being selected to represent Kenya is not something he takes lightly. He describes it as the biggest opportunity presented to him and says representing Kenya on a big stage is a huge privilege.
The tournament will bring together some of the strongest FC 26 players from across Africa. There will be no easy opponent. That is exactly how David expects it. He wants “pure elite gameplay.” He expects “end to end action from game one.” And if he gets the chance to choose an opponent, there is one name he would like to face. Faruq Manzo.
But there is an interesting detail in how he approaches the tournament. He does not see Rwanda as a place where he has to prove something to everybody else.
“I’m not going to prove anything in Rwanda but to play my best FC.”
That might be the right attitude. The pressure will already be high. There is little value in creating even more of it. His job is to play his game, trust the work he has put in and see where that takes him.
Representing Kenya Means More Than Just a Tournament
International competition is the next step for David. He knows that.
“Yes it’s a big step to the next stage of my career,” he said.
And there is something bigger behind that statement. For Kenyan FC players, opportunities to test themselves against top continental competition are still valuable. Every player who gets that chance helps build a stronger picture of what Kenyan esports can produce.
David now has that opportunity. He is not arriving in Rwanda as a finished product. He is arriving as a player still developing. Still training. Still learning. Still trying to earn his place among the best. And perhaps that is what makes the opportunity so exciting.
The Dream Is Professional FC
David’s ambitions do not stop in Kigali. His biggest goal is straightforward – playing professional FC. He says he trains every day hoping that one day he will earn a slot in professional FC tournaments like the FC Pro Open. He also wants to succeed in his talent and continue adding more highlights to his gaming journey. That ambition exists alongside his studies.
David is studying hospitality at Mount Kenya University, giving him another path outside gaming while he continues to chase his esports dream. It is a reminder that many young Kenyan esports players are building their careers while also studying and preparing for life outside competition.
For David, the dream remains very much alive. He wants to play professional FC. And he is willing to keep working toward it.
Player Profile Rating
Based on his journey so far, competitive development, mentality, consistency, training commitment and current trajectory, East Gamers News rates David Owuor at 8.8/10.
| Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Competitive Ability | 8.5/10 |
| Mentality | 9/10 |
| Consistency | 8.5/10 |
| Training Commitment | 9.5/10 |
| Potential | 9/10 |
| International Readiness | 8/10 |
| Overall | 8.8/10 |
The rating is not about saying he has already reached the top. He has not. It is about where he is now and where the evidence suggests he can go. And the most encouraging part is that David himself does not seem interested in rushing the process. He just wants to keep improving.
