Veteran football coach and media personality Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee has opened up about a deeply personal belief he once held — that he would die in his late 40s. Speaking candidly in a recent interview, the former Harambee Stars head coach explained that the feeling was driven by a profound sense that he had already fulfilled his life’s biggest dreams.
Mulee revealed that when he was around 46 to 48 years old, he genuinely believed his life would end around that time. According to him, the belief stemmed from a rare feeling of completeness rather than fear. By that age, he felt he had achieved everything he had once prayed and worked for, both professionally and personally.
“At that time, I felt I had been given what I asked God for. I had lived my dream,” Mulee shared, reflecting on a period when his career had reached its peak.
One of the major milestones that shaped Mulee’s outlook was his tenure as head coach of the Kenya national football team. Coaching Harambee Stars had been a lifelong ambition, one he pursued relentlessly from his early days in football.
Under his leadership, Kenya qualified for the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) — a historic achievement that cemented his legacy in Kenyan football. Although the team’s performance at the tournament did not meet expectations, Mulee considers the qualification itself a defining moment in his life.
“For a Kenyan coach to take the national team to AFCON was something huge for me. That was the dream,” he said.
Having reached that pinnacle, Mulee explained that he felt spiritually satisfied, as though he had completed his assignment in life. This sense of fulfillment, fueled his belief that his time on earth might be coming to an end.
“I was okay with it. I felt if it happened then, I would have gone in peace,” he explained.
This perspective, he said, came from measuring his life not by its length, but by the impact and purpose he felt he had already achieved. At that stage, he believed he had ticked all the boxes he once considered essential to a meaningful life.
Now in his early 60s, Mulee says his outlook has significantly changed. Life, he admits, continued to unfold in unexpected ways, offering him new opportunities, challenges and reasons to keep going.
As a radio presenter, analyst and mentor to young coaches, Mulee has remained active in shaping Kenya’s football conversation.
“Now I’m thinking maybe I’ll live to 83,” he said with a laugh, noting that seeing peers live longer has reshaped his expectations.
Looking back, Mulee says he is grateful for the extra years — years that have allowed him to grow, teach and rediscover purpose beyond football glory.