Done with Mauritius, bring on Cape Verde - We are Harambee Stars!

It has been quite a while since my last post here. While I was away, Zambia came to Nairobi and confirmed my fears by beating Kenya 2-1, making our task of qualifying for Afcon 2017 much harder.

During the same period, Gor Mahia confirmed what had for weeks become a mere formality by winning a third consecutive premier league title, the first of three titles that they can win in what has been definitely a wonderful season for the club.

Another development during the same time was the emergence of Gor Semelang'o and Nick Mwendwa as serious challengers to Sam Nyamweya's stranglehold on Kenya's football chiefdom. And only a few days ago, Kenya went to Mauritius and ran riot, thumping the Indian Ocean Islanders 5-2. 

The return leg five days later ended as an anti-climax for Kenyan fans when a resolute Mauritian defence and an inspired goalkeeper ensured there would be no more free scoring. Apart from the 0-0 scoreline, however, Kenya's performance was satisfactory, really. 

The defence worked well, skipper Victor Wanyama controlled the midfield well and several scoring chances were created, with striker Michael Olunga missing a couple good ones and hitting the goal post twice.

With qualification for the next stage of World Cup 2018 qualifiers now assured - and here a fancied Cape Verde side awaits - one would have hoped for some kind of miraculous commitment from the Football Kenya Federation to ensure we increase our chances of beating Cape Verde and entering the group stage. 

Instead, the usual mediocrity of local football management was at play immediately after the match, with players complaining about non-payment of allowances. Already, Kenya's number one goalkeeper Anorld Origi had boycotted the two legged qualifier against Mauritius, protesting against the non-refunding of money he spent travelling to Kenya for national duty. 

And as Kenya prepared to face Mauritius in Nairobi, Kenya's players were rumoured to have been planning a boycott of the tie - before they were talked out of it.

Is this the way to prepare to face a Cape Verdian side that we easily beat home and away ten years ago, but which has since improved so vastly that they have to wait for us in a later qualification round as we negotiate ourselves out of trouble against the minnows of African football that Mauritius surely are?

What the Cape Verdians have done over the ten years, and what we have not done, is the reason we are steadily going backward as the tiny Atlantic Ocean Islanders confidently climb the ladder of world football. If we are not careful, ten years from now, Mauritius will beat us home and away and we shall be left wondering how we can lose to a team that we dismissed quite easily ten years back.

These are the thoughts that should preoccupy us as we prepare to vote in new football administrators. Whoever is able to read this post and has some power to influence the election outcome should forego selfish interest and put the interest of Kenyan football first. 

We need committed and selfless leaders to get us out of the dark hole we have dug for ourselves so that in future, we do not have to tremble with fear at the thought of facing Africa's "Cape Verdes". These are the kind of opponents we should be relishing coming up against, any day, any time.

Meanwhile, I wish Harambee Stars all the best as they plot to defeat Cape Verde in November, whatever the circumstances. Go! Go! Stars! Kenya's long suffering football fans are solidly behind you!