Hooligans decide Gor Mahia, AFC Leopards tie

The 2015 SportsPesa Premier League second leg tie between Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards was shaping up into one of the most entertaining mashemeji derby of recent times until acts of hooliganism brought the tie to its premature end in the 65th minute.

Gor versus AFC Leopards is always an explosive affair regardless of each team’s form. Gor Mahia are currently riding high as the unbeaten, run-away premier league leaders seeking their third consecutive league title. Leopards, on their part, are struggling in position five of the log , having last won the premier league in 1998.

This did not however stop the Ingwe supporters from pouring into Nyayo National Stadium, almost matching the huge turnout of the green army of Gor supporters, as both sets of fans sought to have their own say in the latest display of Kenya’s greatest club football rivalry.

Gor’s superiority showed throughout the match as they pounded the Leopards’ goal with crosses, some of which should have been converted into goals by the likes of Michael Olunga and Khalid Aucho but for keeper Lukas Indeche’s heroics.

Then in the 65th minute, AFC Leopards’ defender Jackson Saleh handled the ball and the referee pointed to the spot straight away. It was a clear and incontestable penalty but Leopards fans would not let Gor take it, instead throwing objects on the pitch and causing the match to be abandoned for security reasons.

I am beginning to wonder whether AFC leopard’s  Jackson Saleh derives some kind of pleasure from handling the ball in his penalty area. For heaven’s sake,  how can one explain the defender’s handling of the ball in the penalty area in three high stake matches in a row?

In June during Kenya’s first Afcon qualifier match against Congo,  Saleh denied Kenya a precious win in Congo by unnecessarily handling the ball in the penalty area. Two weeks later, he did the same against Ethiopia and contributed to Kenya’s elimination from the CHAN qualifiers.

Whatever the reasons for Saleh’s repeated errors, the latest handed Gor an opportunity to break the deadlock and pile more pressure on the Ingwe den but as stated, Ingwe fans thought otherwise.

While Leopards fans cannot escape responsibility for causing the tie’s abandonment, the incident also proved that we still have a long way in reaching high standards of stadium security management that are a prerequisite for a professionally run football league.

Although Gor fans behaved admirably during Ingwe fans provocation, there had been some disturbance at half time and referring to the disturbance, the match commissioner was quoted by Supersport explaining that he had asked the police to separate Gor and Leopards fans by creating a buffer zone between them but his advice was ignored.

Moving forward, whatever sanctions are ordered later by the Kenya Premier League, all parties involved in Kenya’s football administration must seek ways of ensuring that going to the stadium becomes a secure, enjoyable, family-friendly experience for all football lovers in the country. Hooliganism should not be allowed to thrive in Kenyan football.

Gor's defence of premier league title unstoppable

Kenyan premier league defending champions Gor Mahia returned to the SportsPesa Premier league in style after their exploits in the recently concluded CECAFA Kagame Cup.

Coach Frank Nuttal had asked his team to return to Kenya with a bang after their 2-0 loss against Tanzania’s Azam FC in the final and, with a 6-1 battering of KCB, they surely did that and some more.

Two classic finishes in the first half were enough to disorient a KCB side that only a week before had beaten Thika United 3-2.

Olunga’s finish for Gor’s first goal was the epitome of a confident attacker's strike as he rushed forward to calmly tap in Godfrey Walusimbi’s perfectly angled pass.

Then to prove that they were currently a class above everyone else in Kenya’s top league, the team fondly called Kogallo by their adoring fans put together a move of the season that started with captain Musa Mohammed’s inch perfect long pass that beautifully found Innocent Wafula around KCB’s 18 yard box.

Wafula dribbled around KCB’s three defenders as he calculated how to launch the perfect pass. When the pass came, it sweetly fell on Meddie Kagere’s right foot and the former APR man hit the best half volley you can expect to see in a game of football to make it 2-0.

In fact, the score should have been 4-0 by half-time but Olunga had two shots brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Zakary 
Onyango.

Gor continued their relentless attack of KCB goal in the second half and in the 56th minute, Kagere launched an assured run towards goal that resulted in defender Mark Odhiambo banging the ball into his own net to make it 3-0 for Gor.

Clearly complacent after their third goal, Gor’s defence went to sleep and gave former Gor striker Paul Kiongera the chance to tap in KCB’s consolation goal.

A late ferocious shot from Olunga was excellently saved by KCB's keeper
Zakary Onyango before Kagere (with his second), midfielder Khalid Aucho and substitute Enock Agwanda put the icing on Gor’s performance for a final 6-1score.

Overall, Gor Mahia’s performance was ample proof that they indeed are playing at a level above everyone else in Kenyan football at present.

It was also proof that their participation at the CECAFA Kagame Cup has given them an edge and swagger that might be enough to wrap up their defence of the premier league title in record time.

Wanyama should stay put at Southampton

It is that high season in European football again when clubs buy to strengthen their squads and sell the unwanted and want-aways.

Already, high profile deals have been concluded for the likes of Angel di Maria (Manchester United-Paris Saint Germain); Robin Van Persie (Manchester United- Fernebahche); Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich-Manchester United); and Raheem Sterling (Liverpool-Manchester City).

There are still some unresolved sagas like the one involving Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea, whose linkage to Real Madrid has preoccupied journalists and fans throughout the transfer window. There are also some rumoured high profile signings like the one linking Manchester United with Barcelona's Pedro Rodriguez.

Our very own Victor Wanyama of Southampton has not been spared from the rumour mills and reports suggesting the player would like to play Champions League football have been doing the rounds.

Like in the previous two seasons, big clubs such as Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspurs and Fiorentina have been suggested as possible destinations for the Kenyan national team captain.

The best move for Wanyama, however, would be to stay put at Southampton, where he had a wonderful first season and enjoyed huge play time that he would certainly end up coveting were he to make a move to, say, Arsenal-where bench time would be beckoning.

With Morgan Sneiderlin having moved to Manchester United and Nathaniel Clyne to Liverpool, Wanyama's defensive midfield role at Southampton will be even more important at the club this season. Having settled so well at the Saints after moving from Celtic, the midfielder will be counted upon by both his coach  and fellow players to instil a calming influence in front of the team's back line.

Do Oliech and Mariga still have something to offer Harambee Stars?

With only weeks remaining before Kenya faces Zambia in the second match of the 2017 Afcon qualifiers, news that Dennis Oliech and Macdonald Mariga have been recalled to the national team must be music to the pair’s admirers but, at the same time, might have sounded like alarm bells to critics.

Dennis Oliech, is without a doubt, one of the greatest strikers that Kenya has ever produced. In deed, he blossomed at the same as England’s Wayne Rooney and Portugal’s Christano Ronaldo, and was at one time ranked amongst the top most young footballers with greatest promise.

Although he did not go on to dominate global football columns like Christiano and Rooney, Kenyans can confidently state that Oliech has been very important to the country’s national team for the past ten or so years.

It was due to his striking exploits that we made it to our last Afcon tournament in Tunisia in 2004, and he has filled us with joy on numerous occasions as we witnessed defenders cowering in the wake of his devastating runs towards opponents’ goal areas.

As for Mariga, well, what more could we have asked? In his prime, his contributions in midfield helped determine the difference between Kenya winning or losing matches. I remember especially his stand out performance when Kenya beat Zimbabwe 2-0 in a 2010 World Cup/Afcon qualifier.

That win put Kenya top of a group that also had Guinea and Namibia and, in deed, Harambee Stars eventually made it to the final qualifying round that was won by Nigeria after a big scare for the Super Eagles in Nairobi spearheaded by none other than Dennis Oliech. Were it not for some suspect refereeing, Kenya would have earned their first win against Nigeria on that evening.

Clearly, there are many good things that can be said about Mariga and Oliech as regards Kenyan football. But it has been quite a while now and huge question marks must be allowed as to whether these two great footballers should be fielded again in the national team.

After reaching the peak of his footballing career by winning the UEFA Champions League with Inter Milan under current Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, Mariga’s career took a downward trend worsened by injuries and, to be honest, he has never recaptured his defence splitting form ever since.

Oliech also thrived in France with Auxerre before he started a downward spiral mirrored by his club, got relegated with them and tried in vain to rebuild his career at Ajaccio. As I am writing this piece, I do not know which club Oliech currently plays for.

It is my hope, as it is for all lovers of Harambee Stars, that Coach Bobby Williamson has done some thorough due diligence on these great gentlemen and found them worthy to wear Kenyan national team colours again.

If there is still a trick or two that they can teach the likes of Michael Olunga, Jesse Were and Victor Wanyama, then let them be given a chance in the team to face Zambia in Nairobi.

Oluoch’s history of goalkeeping errors a source of discomfort for Gor and Harambee Stars

I liked goalkeeper Boniface Oluoch’s honesty when he was quoted in the media expressing his surprise at being named best goalkeeper at the recently concluded CECAFA Kagame Cup held in Tanzania.

To me, keeper Oluoch was completely at fault in conceding the second goal against Azam that effectively ended Gor Mahia's chances of getting back in the game.

This is what he said regarding his error of judgement that led to Azam’s second goal: "In this situation, I thought the ball was going out. When I realized it was actually coming towards goal, it was too late and realized I could have hit my head on the goal post if I had tried going for it.”

As long as it remained 0-1, Gor had realistic hopes of getting one goal back and taking the match into extra time. However, once it was 0-2 in the second half of a cup final, it was game over for the Kenyan premier league champions.

It is very difficult to categorise Oluoch as either an exceptional or hopeless keeper. In one instance he can produce magical brilliance to stop goal bound shots. In another, he can commit totally inexplicable goalkeeping errors that leave you wondering whether to laugh or cry.

A number of errors committed by the former APR and Tusker goalkeeper strongly vindicate my position. What should have been a dream Harambee Stars debut in December 2010 quickly turned into a nightmare for keeper Oluoch.

After a dismal performance by first choice keeper Wilson Obung’u against Malawi, Oluoch was preferred for Kenya’s second match against Ethiopia in the 2010 CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup. This is how journalist Patrick Korir summed up Oluoch’s performance that evening:

...Oluoch’s performance must be dubbed relative. A 25th minute free kick that gave Ethiopia its first goal left the Tusker keeper glued to the spot. But he can be forgiven as there was a slight deflection to the kick that left him stuck.

Somewhere in the game against Ethiopia, Oluoch raced to clear a ball outside the box and his clearance fell right at the foot of an Ethiopian player. But luckily, the player who got the ball was a bit shocked at the ‘ball on a platter’ and sent the ball way above a yawning net leaving Kenyans relieved. It could have been 3-0 for Ethiopia.

But in the last game against Uganda on Sunday evening, a seemingly even game between Kenya and Uganda was set to end with Kenya trailing 0-1.

earned a needless red card

But Oluoch went berserk. With seconds left in the game, the keeper went up for an easy picking but stuck out his left foot planting it right into the chest of Ugandan substitute Robert Ssentongo.

The move shocked all as the keeper, in only his second cap for Stars, earned a needless red card and conceded a ‘stupid’ penalty that was converted by Andy Mwesigwa for Kenya to go down 0-2 to their arch rivals.

Oluoch’s action was too damn to defend with his coach Jacob Ghost Mulee not anywhere close to his defense.

“I cannot understand what he was up to” is what he had to say of his keeper.

Two years later, Tusker were Kenya’s representatives at the 2012 CECAFA Kagame Cup held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Tusker needed to win against Tanzania's Azam FC to proceed beyond the group stage but, with Boniface Oluoch in goal, Tusker could only manage a 0-0 score.

A live text commentary by journalist Dennis Machio captures a common feature of Oluoch’s goalkeeping errors thus:

Tusker FC keeper Boniface Oluoch has been handed a red card in the ongoing group B match against Azam for handling the ball out of his area. In his place comes substitute Samuel Odhiambo who is also an equally strong keeper.

The resultant free kick from the foul on the top of the box taken by Azam rattled the cross bar.Andrew Murunga had to be sacrificed for Odhiambo.

Tusker needs to win the match to be assured of qualifying for the quarter finals of the CECAFA Kagame Cup having drawn their first match against Mafunzo of Zanzibar 0-0.

A 0-0 draw against Azam today or a loss  will see the Kenyan champions pack their bags for Nairobi.

This same Oluoch error trait manifests itself again in a 2013 DSTV/SuperSport Cup match between tusker and Gor Mahia. On this occassion, Boniface Oluoch rushed outside his box and handled the ball, earning an automatic exit from the match. 

Then Tusker FC’s coach Robert Matano’s anger at the keeper is captured in this exerpt of the match report by journalist Otieno Otieno:

Tusker coach Robert Matano has expressed disappointment with goalkeeper Boniface Oluoch for being sent off early in Saturday's DSTV/SuperSport Cup match against rivals Gor Mahia.

Matano said the keeper showed indiscipline in allowing himself to be sent off early in the match and hinted that he may be forced to take disciplinary action.

Oluoch handled outside his box and earned a straight red card from referee Sylvester Kirwa. Tusker went on to relinquish the trophy after losing 4-4 on post match penalties after the match had ended 0-0 in normal time.

Speaking after Saturday's match, Matano expressed anger at the goalkeeper's performance pointing out that they should have won the match with 11 eleven men on the pitch.

"It is disheartening that a goalkeeper of his experience can make such a mistake. It is not the first time he is doing this and something must be done to him," he said.

And in June this year, Kenya was playing against hosts Congo in the first match of the 2017 Afcon qualifiers. At some point in the match, Oluoch inexplicably rushed outside his box to challenge a
Congolese striker, who happily chipped him. Luckily defender David 'Cheche' Ochieng made a timely clearance and prevented another Oluoch disaster.

In September, Kenya is poised to play Zambia in the second match of the 2017 Afcon qualifiers in Nairobi and it is my hope that somebody else, rather than Oluoch, will be keeping goal for Kenya.

As for his continued first choice status for Gor Mahia, my position is that he is one of the team’s weakest links. If Gor Mahia seriously harbour designs of winning regional and continental trophies, they must shop for a top class goalkeeper.  

Latest SportPesa sponsorship deal great but we can do better

It is great news indeed that the Kenya Premier League have signed a new sponsorship deal with local betting firm SportPesa, said to be in the region of Ksh 360 million spread over four and half years.

The revival of Kenyan football owes a lot to the return of football sponsorship in the country, with the Supersport-KPL deal several years ago laying a firm foundation for the decent football successes being enjoyed in the local football scene today.

The importance of sponsorship to the well being of Kenyan football was aptly acknowledged by KPL Chairman Ambrose Rachier during the official announcement of the Sportspesa deal on Thursday.

“We warmly welcome SportPesa to KPL. The sponsorship will help maintain the level of success the league has enjoyed in the region,” Mr Rachier said.  

According to Nairobi News, the agreement is for Ksh 80 million with a ten percent increment every year bringing the total figure over the entire duration of the contract to around Sh 360 million.

This would be a great improvement on the previous sponsorship of Ksh 170 million from East Africa Breweries Limited that expired in June.

Before the signing of a US$ 5.5 million television broadcast rights deal between Supersport and KPL, Kenyan football had sunk to its lowest level, with the best Kenyan footballers abandoning local clubs for greener pastures in Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia and Rwanda.

However, the deal not only brought these players back home but started an influx of foreign players into local football that has persisted to date. The Supersport deal was later enhanced to about Ksh 1 billion and is in its final year.

These deals have shown us a glimpse of what is possible with proper and professional football management. Indeed, were it not for football sponsorship, instead of cheering Gor Mahia at the recently concluded CECAFA Kagame Cup in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, we would have long mourned and forgotten its demise from Kenyan football.

We are all witnesses to what money can do to a country’s football, the reference here of course being the English Premier League, which was transformed into the best football league in the world through the injection of astronomical amounts of cash from both inside and outside Great Britain.

The league only recently announced a new staggering £5.136 billion TV rights deal effective from the 2016 season and Manchester United, the most successful premier league club, have just started enjoying a mouth watering ten year £750 million Adidas shirt sponsorship deal.

These are figures that we can not even start to dream about in Kenya, but they offer strong motivation that financial support can transform a country’s football world.

The scene in Kenya is made unattractive to sponsors by poor club management, corruption and recurrent infighting between Football Kenya Federation and KPL.

We need to emulate European football’s best practices and strengthen our administrative structures. Once we do this, we shall be in an even stronger position to bargain for much more lucrative sponsorship deals that will surely benefit everyone involved in Kenyan football.

To excel in African football, we must sort the mess in Kenyan football

The 2015 CECAFA Kagame Cup championship came to a disappointing conclusion for Kenyan fans as Gor Mahia finally found the going tough against Tanzania’s Azam FC, whose defensive philosophy was proudly broadcast to everyone that cared to listen by club coach Stewart Hall.

In retrospect, however, Gor’s 0-2 defeat to the rich Tanzanian club should not be viewed as too much of a disappointment. Only 12 months ago, the Kenyan champions could not win a single match as they bowed out at the group stage of the same tournament held in Rwanda.

As the 2015 edition approached, it increasingly appeared that Gor Mahia might not even make it to Dar es Salaam. In typical Kenyan football management style, it emerged that an agreement between CECAFA and Football Kenya Federation – to the effect that FKF would cater for the transport costs of Kenya’s representatives – was just hot air.

Facing the danger of not making it to the tournament, a hastily organised fundraiser was held to raise funds for the club’s air tickets. The amount raised fell short of requirements and President Kenyatta had to step in to purchase air tickets for the team.

The first match Gor faced against Yanga had been largely called in Yanga’s favour but instead Gor put in a wonderful performance to beat the fancied Tanzania mainland representatives. A similar story unfolded against KMKM of Zanzibar and suddenly, Gor Mahia were elevated to favourites status.

The club lived up to expectations and made it to the finals where, unfortunately, an efficient Azam defence and a clinical forward line ended their dreams for a sixth CECAFA club title.

For a club that has lacked sponsors for close to two years, it is amazing that Gor Mahia are actually fighting for titles rather than battling against relegation. During a similar cash starved period a few years ago, it was normal to find Gor at the bottom of the league table and, in deed, boardroom intervention was required to keep the club in the top flight on more than one occasion.

The situation is a bit different now due to the funds available from Kenya Premier League sponsors Kenya Breweries and Multichoice. Additionally, the huge following that Gor enjoys in the country means they can count on some cash from gate collections.

Contrast this with the immense financial resources at Azam FC’s disposal and you begin to appreciate that Gor have done a really commendable job in Dar es Salaam. The most valuable defender of the tournament, Azam’s Serge Wawa, is from the Ivory Coast. Only a year ago, Wawa was in the El Merreikh (Sudan) team that won the 2014 CECAFA Kagame Cup in Rwanda.

Needless to say, El Merreikh is one of the richest clubs in Africa, able to compete for top African football talent with the other African football giants that include Al Ahly of Egypt and Esperence of Tunisia. That Azam can manage to secure the services of a top class defender signed to this class of football giants is a huge testament of the club’s readiness to compete at the highest level.

The world over, we are seeing the importance of money in building competitive and title winning teams. Modern football requires that teams should be well organised, professional and well funded. It is not accidental that the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Paris Saint Germain and Bayern Munich have become so dominant in their leagues and in Europe.

Gor Mahia, because of its pedigree, should by now have become a model in African Football. Historical achievements demand that Gor should be much superior to El Merreikh, Azam FC, Yanga, and so on. Lest we forget, it remains the only East African club to have won a continental championship.

What Kenyan football fans should be enjoying now is a Gor competing with and beating the likes of Esperence, Al Ahly, Zamalek, and the rest of the big clubs in Morocco, Algeria, Congo DR, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Ivory Coast and South Africa.

All the problems that are preventing Gor Mahia from enjoying lucrative sponsorship deals must be identified and sorted out. The day that we have Gor, AFC Leopards, Tusker, et cetera, competing at the highest level in Africa is the day that Kenyan football will stand tall in African football. We all have a responsibility.  

Gor must bring on their very best against Azam in CECAFA Cup final

As they prepare to face home team Azam FC in the 2015 CECAFA Kagame Cup final later today in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Gor Mahia must be ready to put on their very best display if they are to win a cup that has eluded them for 30 good years.

After starting their 2015 campaign brilliantly against Yanga and KMKM of Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar respectively, the Kenyan champions put on unconvincing performances against Al Khartoum of Sudan and Djibouti’s Telekom in their group matches.

Gor Mahia continued this trend at the quarter final stage against South Sudan’s Malakia, whom they unconvincingly beat 2-1. In that match, leading striker Olunga barely made a mark, several players wasted clear scoring chances, and the defence even went to sleep at some point, allowing Malakia to score a totally undeserved goal.

By the semi-finals stage, Gor Mahia realised that Al Khartoum were a dangerous side, especially after the Sudanese representatives dismantled Rwandan champions APR 4-0.

Unlike the 1-1 draw registered against Al Khartoum at the group stages, Gor this time round put on perharps their best performance at the tournament, coming from a goal down to secure a convincing and thoroughly deserved 3-1 victory against the Sudanese, and with it, earned a mouth watering final date against Azam FC.

All of Gor’s departments functioned perfectly, with the defence completely shutting out a very prolific Al Khartoum side. In fact, Gor defended as a team, with lively striker Olunga, back at his best again, often joining in defence and helping launch several counter attacks.

The striker’s industry paid off as he scored one of Gor’s three goals, increasing his own tally to five and putting himself in prime position to win the golden boot.

Gor must play even better in the final to win their sixth CECAFA Kagame Cup. Not only are Azam FC enjoying home team status, they have also proven they are very solid defensively.

Upto the final stage, the team are yet to concede a goal in open play. The only three goals scored against them by Yanga came via a penalty shootout after a 0-0 deadlock in regulation time. The club’s coach Stuart Hall, who previously coached Kenya’s Sofapaka, has been singing praises about his team’s strong defence in the media.

Gor must recognise this and plot how to breach Azam’s defence even as they plan their own defence against a dangerous Azam forwardline spearheaded by Tanzania’s John Boko and Kipre Cheche of Cote d’ivore.

The Kenyan representatives have proven at this championships, as they have throughout the 2015 season, that they can match and beat any body, and they have highly talented individual players who can carry the team if necessary.

This is an opportunity that Gor must not let slip as they plot their way back to the great heights they once soared in African football.