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.