CURRENT ISSUES
REE Y F CURRENT ISSUES P
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VOL 1 | ISSUE 12 | MARCH | APRIL 2018
THE PLIGHT OF KENYAN FOOTBALL Financial difficulties threatening growth of the game
STAR ON THE RISE Francis Atwoli is the next big thing as far as goalkeeping is concerned
LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL former Harambee Stars top marksman Maurice Sunguti is working round the clock to ensure the country is not short of potent strikers in the coming years
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CURRENT ISSUES
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CURRENT ISSUES
SOKA
MAGAZINE SokaKenya Soka_Ke
Editor-in-Chief Dan Ngulu Staff Writers Dan Ngulu Fabian Odhiambo Imran Otieno Peter Wainaina Terry Ouko Zachary Oguda Photography Maina Wambugu Dan Ngulu Fabian Odhiambo Ian Mandela Design and Layout Faith Omudho Published By Soka Holdings Ltd Administration Patrick Korir Email: patrick@soka.co.ke Mobile: +254 700 123 366 Office Suite A5, Silverpool Office P.O. BOX 50633 - 00100, Nairobi - Kenya Phone (254) 727 443 540 (254) 700 12 33 66 Email info@soka.co.ke Online www.soka.co.ke
LETTER From the Editor
T
he 12th issue of the Soka Magazine is here, once again with a top collection of Kenyan football stories that we hope keep you glued cover to cover. The financial struggles experienced in Kenyan football in the past few months make our highlight story as we try to bring to the fore the challenges the player and club go through. With the main story focusing on the financial situation of football in the country, we are also letting Nakumatt FC head coach Antony Mwangi tell his story, heading a club that has undoubtedly been among the most affected by the lack of money in the Kenyan game. We also highlight the efforts put up by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) in a bid to curve a bright future for Kenyan football. We take a tour into the FKF Center of Excellence in Juja, where young talents are being honed. Teenagers are being given what is thought to be the best condition for growth as footballers in preparation for their future. In the same line, we focus on an upcoming talent – Francis Atwoli, a Kenya U20 international goalkeeper who got spotted and handed a call to the team just months after clearing his Secondary School studies. He has since joined Sofapaka Youth and is confident his star is on the rise. One of the longest serving players in the Kenyan Premier League, Duncan Ochieng decorates our Legend of the Game segment in the 12th issue. Having been at the top for over two decades and the only remaining player from the 2004 Kenya AFCON team still playing actively, makes him a good pick for this section. Like in all the other 11 issues before, Women Football is covered here as well and in this issue we focus on the promise that the KeMU Football team held before capitulation as the Kenya Methodist University stopped the scholarship programme which had engineered the rise of top players in the country. Maurice Sunguti, the lethal Harambee Stars forward in his heyday, has taken a low profile in retirement but he is still actively involved in the game and he is the feature in our Life After Football segment.
Dan Ngulu Editor-in -Chief
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CONT 06
CLUB PROFILE Ulinzi Stars Football Club
COVER STORY Financial Meltdown In Kenyan Football
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FKF Centers of Excellence FKF initiated Centers of Excellence to aid in the early development of players
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30
STAR ON THE RISE
Francis Atwoli is the next big thing as far as goalkeeping is concerned
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Tents 36
WOMEN FOOTBALL
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THE BIG INTERVIEW
Antony Mwangi; career of trials and tribulations amid financial difficulties
The rise and fall of KEMU Queens
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LEGEND OF THE GAME Duncan Ochieng; The Art of Staying at The Top
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PEOPLE WHO MADE INPACT IN FOOTBALL
Rachier Ambrose, Habil Nanjero, Adagala Moses, Wanyama Victor, Logarusic Zoravko
BLAST FROM THE PAST
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Jamhuri Cup
LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL former Harambee Stars top marksman Maurice Sunguti is working round the clock to ensure the country is not short of potent strikers in the coming years soka.co.ke 5
COVER STORY
FINANCIAL MELTDOWN IN KENYAN FOOTBALL
Club football in the country has been hit hard in the last year with two of its most prized sponsors, continental pay TV SuperSport and betting firm Sportpesa pulling out
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THE
PLIGHT OF
KENYAN FOOTBALL Financial difficulties threatening growth of the game By Peter Wainaina
F
inancial difficulty presents the biggest threat to the game of football in the world. Over the years, the most successful clubs are the ones that have placed the need to monetize on top of their agenda, of course with football being the tool to fuel the marketing aspect. To monetize requires smart business acumen but also the will from the people with the money to buy into an idea. Unfortunately, not many in Kenya have been willing enough to put their money in the game and as a result, Kenyan football has dragged terribly behind. Quotes like “We played poorly because of off pitch issues”, “We are not sure whether we will be able to honor the next game”, “Things are tough” and many more, are used in pre match briefings by coaches in the league to point to the fact that there is no flow of money to the point it matters most – the player. The financial situation of football in the country has been fluctuating for the best part of a decade, having its peaks and its lows. At the moment, football in the country is at a crisis financially, with clubs both in the top division and in the lower tiers struggling to stay afloat. It is at a low and it has threatened to put the brakes on a once vibrant football scene. Club football in the country has been hit hard in the last year with two of its most prized sponsors, continental pay TV SuperSport and betting firm Sportpesa pulling the plug on their multi-million shilling investments to the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) in 2017, though SportPesa have since reconsidered and returned, albeit with a lower offer than before.
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COVER STORY
FINANCIAL MELTDOWN IN KENYAN FOOTBALL
A muddy technical area at the afraha stadium is just a hihhghlight of how much money is dedicated on ensuring we haavve top notch football facilities in the country
First it was SuperSport, who provided the first blow, opting out after match day one of the 2017 league season, citing a contractual breach from the part of the league organizers. SuperSport had been the sole broadcast rights holder of the top league since 2007 and in their tenure, local football had grown in leaps and bounds. Second to follow suit was SportPesa who withdrew their financial support with the proposal of a law that demanded betting firms in the country to part with a 35% stake in taxation. Terming the percentage too hefty to absorb, SportPesa were left with no choice but to pull the rug under each and every one of their sponsorships deals inclusive of other sports. To put it into context, it is like a matatu driver speeding on a highway doing more than the required 80km/ hour when suddenly the rear left tire collapses. He misses by a whisker
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ramming into a tree or ending up in a ditch with all of his passengers. Luckily there is a spare wheel but on the down side is that it will only play the part until the nearest filling station. But before they can even get there, the rear right tire also gives in. The driver is stuck, trying to get
who provided a stop gap solution after SuperSport left. The Radio Africa entity which has been broadcasting the second tier league the National Super League (NSL) since February of last year came to the rescue during the mid-season break. Before then, for nearly four months there were no televised KPL games.
News publications have been awash with news articles of top flight clubs as well as those in the second tier finding it hard to sustain themselves
They say when it rains it pours. And it was certainly pouring heavily on domestic football. SuperSport had prior to their withdrawal inked a new long term deal with the KPL estimated to be in the region of 1 billion shillings. An amount that saw the league benefit from grants believed to be more than 200 million shillings a year.
the matatu up and running as well as calm disgruntled passengers who have had enough. This is the situation that KPL found itself in in 2017.
Take that away and it is enough to cripple any institution, add that to SportPesa’s 100 million a year deal and you have a livelihood to many on the brink of collapse.
The spare wheel was Bamba Sport,
“Football Kenya Federation (FKF), KPL and many of its clubs are all now facing their worst financial crises in the last decade,” shares Bob Munro, chairman of top tier side Mathare United. Indeed it is, with clubs struggling to cater to their daily needs. News publications have been awash with news articles of top flight clubs as well as those in the second tier finding it hard to sustain themselves. Going to the extent of calling out to well-wishers to come in and offer whatever little they can towards the cause. At some point this season, league heavyweights Gor Mahia had to see Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko
to chip in and facilitate their travel to South Africa for a crucial continental tie against SuperSport United. The 16 time Kenyan champions and arguably one of if not the biggest club in the region was finding it hard to pay for air tickets to South Africa. Sonko’s intervention, literally at the eleventh hour saw K’Ogalo leave the country for Pretoria 24 hours before kickoff. AFC Leopards, another heavyweight in the local game prior to the start of the 2018 season had warned that
ambitions set, are determined by a number of factors. There are clubs that wish to just avoid relegation – to stay in the top flight. There are those that play for top half slots and those that wish to contest for the title. To run a football club in the country is not child’s play. Just to scrape through, a team needs no less than 30 million shillings a year. To be a top eight contender about 40-50 million would do, and a title chaser may have to fork out close to 100 million. The
At some point, league heavyweights Gor Mahia had to see Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko to chip in and facilitate their travel to South Africa for a crucial continental tie against SuperSport United they would fail to honour their KPL Super Cup match against Gor at the start of the year, stating that the club could not raise funds to cater for the team’s expenses. This was in the wake of Sportpesa announcing it would pull out of the 55 million shilling shirt sponsorship deal with the team. The tie to be played in Nakuru saw Ingwe receive financial backing from Nairobi Senator Johnstone Sakaja who chipped in with Kshs. 600, 000 to help facilitate the team’s transport and accommodation. It was just the beginning; the 13 time league champions would also hit a snag in preparations for their continental assignment. These are the two biggest entities in local football and they are struggling financially, what about the lesser teams, the ones without such a strong fan base, without the prestige that these two enjoy. What of them? The monies Success of clubs in the country and
figures are determined by the kind of players acquired by clubs to fuel their season targets. Top players will come with top demands for remuneration. A huge chunk of the clubs’ earnings is dependent on the grants they receive from the league organizers as well as sponsorship deals. A lot of these monies are provided by betting firms as well as companies from the declining sugar industry. Of the eleven sugar companies in the country, three have teams of their own – Sony Sugar, Nzoia Sugar and Chemelil Sugar all based in the former Western and Nyanza provinces. With the declining state of sugar production that has the industry on its knees, these clubs have been hit hard. Once powerhouses in the country, Mumias Sugar FC owned by the largest sugar producing company in the country suffered the full consequences of a declining industry and a not – so - well remunerating league, and folded in 2006, a year before SuperSport checked in.
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COVER STORY
FINANCIAL MELTDOWN IN KENYAN FOOTBALL
It was the same for West Kenya FC who also closed shop for largely the same reason almost a decade after. “Football is a very expensive business especially for a parastatal club,” former Nzoia Sugar FC chairman Ngisa Mokua reveals, “It is difficult because of strict wage structures in government institutions. “To have a competitive team you must have a good wage structure for the players, offer something good salary-wise than what the other clubs are paying as well as have enough for transfer fees to convince a club to part with a player. “Because of our shoestring budget, at NSFC we were always handicapped on this,” he says. A huge burden for the “lesser teams” has been the inability to hold on to their star players. Often seeing a mass exodus whenever the transfer window opens. They are left to rebuild and start a fresh with the monies generated from player sales not enough for a club to depend on. Nzoia Sugar have had to go through these, losing last season’s star performers Masita Masuta, Lawrence Juma and Joachim Oluoch to Ulinzi Stars and Gor Mahia. Masita and Oluoch’s moves total to only Kshs. 300,000, a mere 8.5% of the clubs monthly expenditure that totals roughly 3.5 million shillings. Before SuperSport and SportPesa pulled out of their deals, clubs were getting Kshs. 700,000 in grants from the KPL monthly. This went a long way in aiding a club’s survival. But when SuperSport left, this figure plummeted down to 100, 000 shillings a month between July and December 2017 when Bamba Sport got onboard. TV sponsorships are a huge source of income for clubs, the current
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MediaPro - La Liga - KPL partnership has failed to fill the void. Another mountain to deal with is the many away games that clubs outside Nairobi and its environs grapple with every season.
To have a competitive team you must have a good wage structure for the players, offer something good salarywise than what the other clubs are paying as well as have enough for transfer fees to convince a club to part with a player ~ Mokua Of the 18 teams in the KPL, nine are based in Nairobi, they have an advantage over the others situated in Western, Coast and Rift Valley in that the time/money spent on the road traveling for away matches is quite
reduced. Nairobi based clubs have a total of 16 ties (per club) in a season, home and away that are played out in the city. A club like Bandari, which is the only team from the Coast region that is currently in the topflight, has to deal with the expenses that are brought about by the 17 away ties every season. “The expenditure of one away match is between 250,000 and 300,000 shillings,” Munro offers some insight. “For the players to perform at the required level you have to be there at least two days before the game is played. This brings up costs of travel, accommodation etc. And remember this figure is excluding player salaries and allowances,” Munro, the man who founded Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) more than 30 years ago says. The players Where does this leave the players then? According to a 2016 report done by FIFPRO – the world players’ union for all professional footballers, 34% of players plying their trade
locally earn up to USD 300 (Approx Kshs. 30, 000) a month. With the current economic difficulties felt throughout the country, such an amount leaves players barely holding on. Couple that with delayed or sometimes lack of any income coming in for months on end then you can start to picture the impact of the current financial situation. In March 2018, Nakumatt FC players threatened to abscond their league clash against Chemelil Sugar for lack of pay. The team formerly owned by now bankrupt retail chain Nakumatt Holdings has had to deal with player revolt and the plight threatened to sink them even further. However, some hope in the shape of a Nairobi politician, Francis Mureithi seems to have brought back the smile after he bought the club in April with all of its liabilities. Charles Okwemba, a veteran of the local game opens up on the difficulties local players go through trying to make ends meet.
“We have come a long way over the years. There have been some good times but at the moment we have hit a snag. Teams are struggling to keep up and the biggest casualties here are the players,” the Vihiga United midfielder opines. “The salaries are not adequate but compared to when I first started out in football almost 20 years now, we have made strides going forward in terms of how players are handled,
Eldoret with KCC where my salary was 7,000 shillings a month. Comparing that to now you can see what I mean when I say we have come a long way but we risk going back to a situation as similar where players live from hand to mouth. A situation where basic things like food, shelter will be a struggle to provide. “I know of teams that are asking players to accept taking a pay cut. It has become that bad.”
The salaries are not adequate but compared to when I first started out in football almost 20 years now, we have made strides going forward in terms of how players are handled ~ Okwemba and football has become an escape for many of the young people coming out of impoverished areas. But all that now is under threat with the dwindling fortunes being seen in the game. “I remember during my time in
Former Nairobi City Stars defender and now coach of the Kawangware based club John Amboko shares with Okwemba’s sentiments. His opinion is that football risks dying a slow death if something drastic isn’t done by those in charge.
Ladies help drawing water from the pitch at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos ahead of a paast game. Lack of financial investment make issues like drainage on our pitches overlooked at the planning stage
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COVER STORY
FINANCIAL MELTDOWN IN KENYAN FOOTBALL
“Most of the players have only the basic schooling of up to secondary school, only a handful have gone beyond that. So this is all they have and are at risk of losing it. “The situation is worse and it could deprive the country of talent because players will look elsewhere to get that daily income. High chance is that they will to turn into a life of crime so it behooves those at the top to provide lasting solutions before this escalates even further.” City Stars, currently in the second tier - the National Super League (NSL) has been hit hard by the financial shortcomings which have led club chair Peter Jabuya to announce that he is considering withdrawing his support from the club as it has become nearly impossible to manage it. “It is heartbreaking to see what it has come to,” a shattered Jabuya said on phone. “It is not my will to withdraw my support from the club. But the current times have left me with no choice. Since the start of the year I have not paid a single salary to my players. It pains me that if I go ahead with this then it might be the end of City Stars, a club that has brought joy to many and given the youth a chance at a better life throughout the years.
sports. But all I have received have been empty promises from the previous and current regimes,” he says.
one way of creating employment and wealth among our youth,” Taita Taveta Governor Granton Samboja said at the launch of the team.
More and more counties have taken up the mantle to support clubs adding them to their budgets. Vihiga
Could this be the way forward for our teams with the current instability? It is definitely hard to find someone who would argue against it.
It is a difficult business running a football club due to the struggles that arise from a lack of unity, solidarity and transparency in the football family ~ Munro United and Kakamega Homeboyz have been beneficiaries of this. Recently Kisumu and Taita Taveta counties have also thrown their hats in the ring backing Kisumu Allstars and Taita Taveta Allstars respectively. “This is just the beginning. As we have promised we will ensure that we fully support sports because this is
Solutions and strategies A lasting solution though would be to have all stakeholders sit together at one table and work towards a formidable strategy that will make situations like the current one a thing of the past. “To avoid such crises in the future, FKF and KPL need to resume consulting and working closely together again in the FKF-KPL Joint Executive Committee. In the last two years this has only happened twice,” Munro explains. “Both also need to rebuild government, corporate and public confidence by respecting their constitutions, their agreements with commercial and other partners and
“I have been with the club for 10 years now soldiering on. For me to contemplate this now then you best believe that things are not right. Counties input “I have tried everything, even petitioned the county government of Nairobi to take up the team as it has been done by the likes of Vihiga and Kakamega counties who have seen the need of promoting the youth through
Kenyan international Jockins Atudo leads team mates out of the pitch after inspection which determined the pitch unplayable
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Nzoia Sugar FC officials and reserve players use chairs to shield themselves from rain during a past league game
last but not least their key stake-holders. “ For the clubs, Munro offers a different outlook. “It is a difficult business running a football club due to the struggles that arise from a lack of unity, solidarity and transparency in the football family. “Finding sponsorships has been difficult because companies want exposure on news outlets, TV, social media. They tend to look for the popular well managed and high ranking clubs. This leaves the other teams in the league at a disadvantage because only four or five teams can match these requirements. “But with the current economic struggles, even the bigger teams so to speak are having difficulty in this regard.”
big part in bringing the fans back to the stadium and the corporates will also want a piece of it. For the players, Okwemba who has seen it all playing locally as well as abroad offers some advice, “I always tell the younger players to not focus on money that much at the beginning of their careers. I tell them to concentrate on playing well because it is only when you play well that lucrative offers will come your way. “Yes it is hard to cope with the current times but there is nothing in the world that runs smoothly without hitches. “To all the players already playing and those aspiring to play. Keep your head down and work towards your goals. It will not be in vain.”
Infrastructure has to be at the top of the pile of things that need to be put in place as it is with good facilities, that teams can play attractive football. This will play a
Follow Peter Wainaina on Twitter: @naina_naish
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YOUTH FOOTBALL
FKF CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE
CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE
In a bid to secure the future of the country’s football, FKF initiated Centers of Excellence to aid in the early development of players By Imran Otieno
D The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) currently runs two centers with the target to enhance youth development in the country, hoping to produce future stars who will propel Kenya to glory, and of course the ability to compete at the highest stage
eveloping Youth is a fantastic recipe for any team or nation that pursues success in football. After many years spent languishing out of the FIFA top 100 rankings Kenya is finally making strides towards an impact in the international stage by developing Youth football after introducing the Under 13, Under 15 and Under 17 structures to act as feeders and conveyers to churn out talent. To get how important youth football is maybe a look at how current world champions Germany succeeded would suffice. A hot night at the Feijenoord Stadion in Rotterdam on Tuesday 20 June saw a second string Portugal humiliate an off colour Germany 3-0 courtesy of a hat trick from Sergio Conceicao, a result that compounded misery on an aging German team sending them packing out of Euro 2000 tournament at the group stages with only a point after a 1-1 draw earlier with Romania. Germany were at the time and still are the most successful European team globally and were at the time defending champions of the Euro tournament, but assembled an aging squad for the tournament whose
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average age was 31.5. At the turn of the millennium the Bundesliga saw an influx of foreign imports in the league with the Champions Bayern Munchen having 13 foreign players in their squad, this seriously undermined the development of young talent in the country. In fact Borussia Dortmund a club synonymous for developing youth talent in the recent years won the Under 19 title for five consecutive years between 1994 and 1998 but very few broke in to the first team. Earlier on, Germany chest thumped after the unification of West and East Germany in 1990 and relied on the perception that they will possess a formidable squad after the union and the theory was further cemented after winning the 1990 World Cup. Years of dominance would end with the capitulation at the Euros and German football authorities sought to lay a clear structured plan to develop youth talent. Since then Germany have built 52 centers of excellence, 366 regional coaching bases where 1,300 professional, full-time coaches teach youngsters the basics of the modern game.
FKF TD Andreas Spier (fourth left)) with coaches and other officials at Juja Preparatoty School FKF Center of Excellence
At the time of penning this piece Kenya was positioned 113th on FIFA rankings and planting the seeds of success with the establishment of two talent centers - Juja Preparatory School and Laiser Hill Academy just as Germany did after their humiliation in 2000. Centers of Excellence are behind every success story either at club or national level with La Masia feeding Barcelona with talent every other season and the 2010 Ballon D’Or was a perfect example of the quality La Masia produces with all three final nominees (Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andreas Iniesta) having passed through the system. In Holland, Ajax is also synonymous with a well-functioning football academy that churns out talent not only for their parent club but to European elites. Clairefontaine in France is another Center of Excellence that has produced world class talent like Blaise Matuidi, Kylian Mbappe, Olivier Giroud and France’s top scorer Thierry Henry and was responsible for producing the spine
of the team that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 Euro tournament. After many years in the dark and producing a golden generation that has nothing to show for, England is headed in the right direction after building St George’s Park in Birmingham to produce young talent which will aid the national team to greater success and the most recent impact of this has been exhibited by the country clinching is the 2017 U20 World Cup.
Kenya has not been consistent in talent development and the structure plan in the previous years has not been able to stand the test of time. Kenya has not been consistent in talent development and the structure plan in the previous years has not been able to stand the test of time. This is however not to say that it
hasn’t enjoyed some success in the process. A perfect example is the Copa CocaCola tournament that was introduced in the country in the late 90’s which was aimed at giving local teenagers a chance to play the beautiful game. The tournament was played globally, taking place in over 60 countries in the world. In Kenya the tournament was structured according to the then eight provinces after which the teams that had made the cut proceeded to the national finals. The wining team got a week long training camp which was graced by top notch coaches from around the world. Arguably three of the Kenya’s biggest footballing exports would be somewhere in another profession doing something they were not passionate about or better still laying down idle with no jobs had the Copa CocaCola not come in play. The three names are Victor Wanyama who now plies his trade with English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur. His brother MacDonald Mariga is also a beneficiary of the tournament as he
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YOUTH FOOTBALL
FKF CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE
was part of the team that played in the 1999 edition of the tournament and was in 2010 appointed the Ambassador of the tournament. The tournament produced the only Kenyan to ever win a UEFA Champions League, as Mariga most famously did it with Inter Milan, his brother is on the other hand was the first Kenyan to score in the tournament. Claiming the fete with a sumptuous header against Barcelona back in 2012. Another famous export that was nurtured by Copa CocaCola was Dennis Oliech who played a huge role as Harambee Stars qualified for the African Cup of Nations finals in 2004. Oliech spent most of his career in France alternating between Nantes, Auxerre and Ajjacio. Other notable players that the tournament has produced include Robinson Kamura who currently plays for AFC Leopards
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and Haron Nyakha from Wazito. The attempts to turn Kenya to a football giant have always been there, though in most cases falling short.
School North Eastern, Cheptil in Rift Valley and Kakamega High School in Western. The eight schools would offer an opportunity to top athletes from disadvantaged homes a chance to further their education and
Another famous export that was nurtured by Copa CocaCola was Dennis Oliech who played a huge role as Harambee Stars qualified for the African Cup of Nations finals in 2004 Hope was restored in Kenyan football in 2011 when the government in partnership with United Nations International Children’s Educational Fund (UNICEF) established eight talent centers in the country through various Secondary Schools – Shimba Hills Secondary School from the Coast, Nairobi’s Upper Hill School, Maseno School from Nyanza, Matuu Memorial in Eastern, Kerugoya Girls High School Central, Garissa High
develop their talents in the schools. The sponsorship of the students included paying of school fees, shopping and pocket money until completion of high school. Upperhill, Maseno, Garissa and Kakamega focused on developing football while others focused on others sports such as basketball, hockey, rugby and netball.
young talent. Partnerships with the previous football authorities in Kenya never lasted long but still produced some gems in the names of Ali Mwajuma, Enock Agwanda Obiero and Kennedy Omondi who were unearthed from Sakata Ball which was sponsored by Safaricom. Mobile telephony company Airtel has also been on the forefront of developing talent through the Rising Stars competitions, partnering with
been the reason behind the formation of Centers of Excellence. The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) currently runs two such centers with the target to improve youth development in the country hoping to produce future stars who will propel Kenya to future glory, and of course the ability to compete at the highest stage continentally and even globally. In the past the national team has relied on talent tapped at the high
In the FKF plan, the Juja Preparatory and Laiser Hill Centers of Excellence will act as the National Academy for the U-13 players which is the prime age to inculcate football philosophies Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) to sponsor the national school games, which has produced the likes of Erick Marcelo Ouma, James Mazembe, Yusuf Mainge and Harambee Starlets forward Mwanahalima Dogo Adam.
Although the partnership between UNICEF and the government is now a thing of the past. It fostered much success, churning out some talent for Kenyan football which included perhaps the one of the best strikers Kenya has produced in the recent years Michael Olunga who, currently on loan with La Liga outfit Girona has enjoyed some success at the club, becoming the first ever player to score a hat trick for the club in the Spanish top flight, while also scooping the Kenyan Premier League MVP award in 2015 before his hugely successful move to Swedish side DjurgĂĽrdens IF which prompted Guizhou Zhicheng to come knocking at his door a move he accepted with both arms.
However, as history would have it, player development requires longer investment and not just few weeks of bringing players together and trying to spot them for teams in the national leagues. This backdrop should have
school games which is quite late considering at this level, the boys and girls are at the age bracket of 15-18 years, when they should already be playing competitive football. In the FKF plan, the Juja Preparatory and Laiser Hill Centers of Excellence will act as the National Academy for the U-13 players which is the prime age to inculcate football philosophies to future footballers. “We already have a syllabus in place. We have trained over 2000 coaches who will benefit from the centers of
Corporates have also chipped in over the years to revive the dying youth football sector that has struggled in the past to nurture and develop FKF instructor David Ouma with two of the youngster on the FKF Centers of Wxcellence list
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YOUTH FOOTBALL
FKF CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE
YOUTH FOOTBALL
Kenya U13 national team players celebrate after a previous tournament
excellence. The players will not only get the best football training but also get the best academic education. These have to go hand in hand,” FKF president Nick Mwendwa said when launching the Juja center. The MoU sees FKF provide the centers with top equipment, meticulously trained coaches and a chance for the youngsters to further their studies. Juja Preparatory is located well 30 kilometers from Nairobi City Center, perhaps a deliberate move to distance the young players from the distractions in the capital but also keeping them just close enough for easy monitoring. Coach Benson Matindi is in charge of the program at the school, and his brief is to impart in the youngsters football knowledge and at the same time nurture them. Here, seven future stars are enrolled by the FKF and fully sponsored to see that both their academic and football needs are addressed, which means
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Matindi has to work hand in hand with the school hierarchy for their growth. The deputy head teacher, Williams Osewe has also been central to their development and passes a good report so far of their progress at the institution.
The MoU sees FKF provide the centers with top equipment, meticulously trained coaches and a chance to further their studies. “I must say they have fitted seamlessly into the system, given that our structure allows students to adjust very fast because of the facilities we have and the social policy systems in the school. It really is hard to single the boys out from the rest of the students when they are out there,” Osewe says.
“We have a deliberate program that ensures that the smooth running of their program, learning is never interrupted as it is one of the key reasons for them being here and we create catch up lessons when they miss any lessons maybe due to an ongoing tournament.” The students require a good balance between work and play for the project to succeed and this calls for great
discipline in many aspects, among them good time management. Even though the program may at given times excuse them from activities undertaken by other pupils, their adherence to the school schedule elates the deputy head. As he lauds the project, the teacher challenges the federation to consider more players for such investments, noting that the seven have been a force in the growing interest in football at the school.. “On a scale of 1-10 I would give them nine, because they have been able to regulate their discipline adhering to the timetable at all times and all other school policies.” “The federation is doing a good job with them and I think they should identify more talents because
sometimes in life it’s not only books that offer success; talent can also play a key role in success of an individual,” he notes. The coach, Matindi, has huge faith in the program pointing out that it will in future solve a lot of player selection issues at the national team, Harambee Stars, “with the proper support that we have been getting from the federation, I don’t see any reason why this program shouldn’t be successful.” At the center, Matindi is well aware he is at the formative stage of a conveyor belt that would feed players through the ranks to the senior team and underscores the importance of player development at the early stage as Kenya sets focus on future international assignments.
Matindi is up to the task and brings a host of experience gathered from working with Sofapaka Academy for four years starting in 2008 when the club was promoted to top flight. He has also worked with Posta Rangers and the now defunct Mahakama FC and had coaching stints at Huruma FC and Jericho All Stars. The 2009 Kenyan Premier League team manager of the year emphasizes the importance of developing talent at an early age, “at an early age it is easier to culture the kids with the basics of football, it’s just like riding a bicycle when you start at an early age you stick with the skill even in your old age, so we give them a good foundation so that should they proceed to any level of football they have the basics of the game.” The schedule at the center has boys
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YOUTH FOOTBALL
FKF CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE
train four times a week; on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Of the seven students, four are currently in the U13 category while three are enrolled in the U16. With a number of scouting expeditions planned in the near future, Matindi is confident the center will expand as more untapped talents will be unearthed. In the scouting schedule, he says, the focus will be more on defensive players, as he has a number of attack minded players at now. To keep the players occupied and well versed with playing together, there’s a plan to enroll them in the U13 and U15 leagues in 2019. The seven students under the program at the center, were selected from various parts of the country; three of them are from Nairobi, one from Kisumu, the other one is from Migori and two from Mombasa. Matindi calls for the federation to implement more structures similar to the one they have set up in Juja Preparatory citing the long term effects which will better the level of football in the country. At the center, one can’t help but notice the football culture at the school as a result of the federation’s partnership with the institution. Almost every student has football boots accompanying their games kits. Behind the veneer of the happy faces, joyfully clanking the heels of their soccer boots on the tiled pathways heading to the field for training, is a story of hope and faith. The desire to use football and academics to better the living standards of their families back home. While the federation seeks to impart in these young lads the knowledge of football and through it get them academically empowered for the good of the nation, the players also
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get the chance to shine a ray of hope to their families; a perfect win – win for everyone. I met up with Hamisi Nyale, from Mombasa, one of the young lads enrolled into the program. Coming from a humble background, he has the hopes and aspirations of becoming a big player in future but also make it in the world of academia, and from his time at the center, already sees a bright future ahead of
“It is very hard to explain; I lack words because back home we live in abject poverty,” he adds as he wipes off a tear as he reminisces over his background, coming from a region full of talent but ravaged by poverty occasioned to a large extent, by drug abuse. “My big brother has come in handy, with good advice, encouraging me not to be like some of my brothers
To keep the players occupied and well versed with playing together, there’s a plan to enroll them in the U13 and U15 leagues in 2019 him. “I’ve liked here since day one, and I’m happy with the progress I’ve been making both in class and in my football.” The class six student struggles to hold back his emotions as he starts.
who are drug addicts and lazy around in the slums doing nothing. I’ve heeded his advice and worked hard because in a family of six only two of us have hopes of uplifting the family from its current financial status.” Football has been Hamisi’s passion,
something he developed at a tender age playing in the sandy fields of Mombasa, a talent which never went unnoticed as his brother encouraged him to pursue a career in football which he said would open doors for him one day and he has the right inspiration. “My brother was close to Messi Agege (Mohamed Ramadhan) who they used to play together, so he used to tag me along as they went for training every day but I wasn’t so serious, but upon his move to Europe I began putting in extra effort,” the boy, who idolizes Barcelona star Lionel Messi adds as he reveals the dream to play for the Spanish giants. He however adds that should Barcelona fail to happen, a move to a team in Europe would fulfil his football ambition as he aims to play in any top league in the continent and while he has the chance at the Juja Preparatory School and Center of Excellence, he says he will make full use. “Right now I would be somewhere
in Mombasa plagued by the drug addiction problem in the region, I wouldn’t have any direction in life,” the striker notes. As a striker, Hamisi doesn’t score goals only, he has also scored some good points with the teachers at the school and his classmates and has been chosen as the class prefect, “I think I was handed the class prefect role because of my discipline in class, I rarely make noise in class and have equal respect for both the students and the teachers.” Hamisi was part of the squad that participated in the inaugural Southampton Cup in England in 2017 and guided the Kenya team to clinch the ultimate prize after edging Ormer 2-1. It was an unforgettable experience for him as he describes it, “I loved the experience and there was a lot I gained in terms of football, for example we played with boys over our age.” At the tournament, the Kenya U13 team was registered in the U14 category and struggled in the opening games against Chelsea and
Porto but managed to edge Isle of Man 1-0 in the final group fixture to earn them a place in the Shield final. “The win came as a bonus but our main objective was to gain experience and we learnt a lot. Winning the cup, for me, was something I will never forget in my life, because before then, I was used to playing for village teams and I didn’t even know how to hold the cup, I felt so nice,” he says. The move by the federation with the Centers of Excellence is a giant risk, but a necessary one. It involves investing a lot of resources in youth football and development but in the end, if well managed, will go a long way in solving the current struggles Kenyan football is experiencing.
Follow Imran Otieno on Twitter: @Imran_Otieno
Kenya U15 national team with their coaches and other officials in a group pic
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CLUB PROFILE
ULINZI STARS
ULINZI STARS PROFILE
The merging of various military units to form one formidable side - Ulinzi Stars - turned out to be the best decision for the club based in Nakuru By Dan Ngulu
T Ulinzi Stars was formed after dissolving five clubs - Scarlet (Third Battalion of the Kenya Rifles, based in Lanet, Nakuru), Waterworks, Kahawa United (Kahawa Barracks, Kahawa, Nairobi), Silver Strikers (12th Engineers, Thika), Kenya Navy (Mombasa) and Spitfire (Kenya Air Force, Moi Air Base, Nairobi).
he clamor for professionalizing clubs in Kenyan football dates back to the early 90s, when the league had no sponsors and corporate teams had much say towards acquisition of the top players in the country.
and named Ulinzi Stars in 1995, and drawing its players from the Kenya Army, Kenya Air Force and Kenya Navy. The team participated in the top flight that year and finished ninth, while Scarlet finished bottom in the 25 – team league.
The advent of Ulinzi Stars was a disruptive force to the order, as here a team was coming up that would consolidate all the resources among the teams in the Kenya Defence Forces to come up with one formidable side.
Prior to the 1990s, the highest a military team had managed in the top flight was when Scarlet finished second in 1983 and upon relegation in 1995, the team was disbanded and its resources added to Ulinzi Stars with the aim of having one strong military outfit and with time the club opened up to including a few civilians in the playing unit.
Before the merging of military teams to come up with Ulinzi Stars, five military outfits, most of which were formed in the 1960s were taking part in the Kenyan leagues. These teams were Scarlet (Third Battalion of the Kenya Rifles, based in Lanet, Nakuru), Waterworks, Kahawa United (Kahawa Barracks, Kahawa, Nairobi), Silver Strikers (12th Engineers, Thika), Kenya Navy (Mombasa) and Spitfire (Kenya Air Force, Moi Air Base, Nairobi). At first, four of the teams were amalgamated, excluding Scarlet,
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“Disbanding the other teams to form one unit gave us an edge; that way we have one formidable team and also a lot of support for one team. Currently, the Kenyan Premier League is struggling financially but as Ulinzi Stars, we have not been affected so much. If we had all those teams, it would be harder. “With merging the teams we have one all – encompassing that has been
Fact File Name Year of Establishment
Ulinzi Stars 1995
Management Chairman Deputy Chair CEO Head Coach
Lt Col Erick Oloo Maj Joe Birgen Maj Godwin Baraza Dunstan Nyaudo
Asst. Coach & Fitness Trainer
James Mulinge
Team Manager Team Doctors
Christopher Ouma John Imboywa Albanus Maingi
Kit Manager
Busolo Wamalwa
Achievements 2010, 2005, 2004, 2003.
Kenyan Premier League (KPL) titles
2011
KPL Top 8 Cup
2010
Kenyan Premier League Fair Play Team of the Year
2013, 2014, 2016, 2017
able to do well in the Kenyan Premier League, regional and world military games though we are still not where we intended to be,” the club chairman Lt. Col Erick Oloo says.
the FKL and KFF. Each body was issuing its own communication and the club management saw it wise to withdraw the team because of the disorganization.
Ulinzi gained strength at the turn of the millennium and ended up winning the league in three consecutive seasons – 2003, 2004 and 2005 but the team had to wait five more years until 2010, when under Benjamin Nyangweso, to win the fourth league title.
“There was a very good vision then for the club but the team did not do so well those years because of the wrangles and it was not just us; generally Kenyan football just took a dip, Vice Chair, Major Joe Birgen says. With the progressive return to normalcy in Kenyan football and sponsorships starting to trickle in, the team got back to winning silverware.
The trophy drought between 2005 and 2010, is a factor the club hierarchy blames largely on wrangles that bedeviled the Kenyan football authorities then as Football Kenya Limited and Kenya Football Federation each claimed to have the mandate to run football in the country. The wrangles were also the main reason the team did not participate in the CAF Champions League in 2005. “There was no straight forward communication from CAF to the clubs because of the wrangles between
In the same year the team won the fourth league title – 2010 – Ulinzi Stars won the Kenyan Sports Team of the Year award at the Sportsman of the Year Awards (SOYA) gala. The team went on to finish second in 2011 and in the same year, won the inaugural KPL Top 8 Cup after coming from behind to beat Western Stima 2 – 1 at Nyayo National Stadium. “Since inception the team has grown in leaps and bounds from
East Africa Military Games titles
CAF Champions League 2004 - First Round 2011 - Preliminary Round
CAF Confederations Cup 2017 – First Round
Ulinzi Stars midfie;der Daniel Waweru takes on Mathare United defender Johnstone Omurwa in a past match
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Ulinzi Stars players in a team pic ahead of a past match in the 2018 season. L-R (standing): Mohamed Hassan, Masita Masuta, George Omondi, Boniface Onyango, Churchill Muloma, Oscar Wamalwa,. Front row: Brian Birgen, Cliff Kasuti, James Saruni, Oliver Ruto, Daniel Waweru.
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CLUB PROFILE
ULINZI STARS
the earlier amateur setting we had in the early 90s and today we are more professional and still making bold steps towards that. Very many good players have gone through this club and you can see from the years things settled down, and sponsors like SuperSport came in things started going well. I can say with sound organization from the Football authorities in the country, we are among the best teams in the country,” says Major Birgen. Coach Benjamin Nyangweso would lead the team to the 2012 Top 8 Cup final but the quest for a second straight title went up in smoke courtesy of a 0 – 2 loss to Gor Mahia in a controversial clash at Moi International Sports Center, Kasarani. Nyangweso was redeployed in 2012, leaving former goalkeeper Francis Onyiso in temporary charge of the team, guiding the side to a sixth placed finish before Salim Ali arrived in December to take charge. Salim is among a number of civilian
coaches who led the team in the past as apart from Nyangweso, the club chairman says they still lacked coaches with the right training. “Employment of civilian coaches was based on the understanding that out there we had coaches who had better qualifications than the ones we had in the military but over time we have been able to train our own to be able to match them”
Matano guided the team to a fourth and second-place finish, in 2014 and 2015, respectively before Nyangweso returned for another stint at the start
Most people knew Ulinzi Stars as a forceful team with a lot of emphasis on defending. We were very predictable and I think that was expected in our opening game, but my view of modern football is that it should be entertaining and flowing ~ Nyaudo Salim’s tenure, followed by Robert Matano’s later, would mark the last of civilian coaches at the club with a lot more investment made to have tacticians already in the military well empowered. Currently, the team has Dunstan Nyaudo as head coach and is well qualified while assistant coaches Francis Onyiso and James Mulinge are in the process of getting their badges. “Having our own coaches will really help us in terms of reducing the wage bill because when a civilian comes, the remuneration is rather high. “The current bench was put in place because of their capabilities, training and profile. All of them are well trained and hold the right certificates. They have also played for the team and national team Harambee Stars,” Lt. Col Oloo adds.
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Under Salim Ali, the team finished eighth in his first season – 2013, and in March 2014, the club parted ways with him and Matano, who had just won the league title with Tusker the previous season, checked in.
of 2017 and guided the team to a seventh place finish in before being redeployed again and replaced by Nyaudo at the start of 2018. Nyaudo’s era at the team began on a high, with the team sweeping away Zoo FC 4 – 2 in the first match of the season, but what captured all attention was the brand of football shown by the team on the day – a swift attacking brand of football that saw the team score three in the opening 45 minutes, signaling a clear change of philosophy by the new sherrif in town. “Most people knew Ulinzi Stars as a forceful team with a lot of emphasis on defending. We were very predictable and I think that was expected in our opening game, but my view of modern football is that it should be entertaining and flowing,” the Dutch trained coach notes. While he has maintained a core of the team, the coach has built the belief in his players and looks to guide the team to a much better finish than the seventh place attained in 2017. The success of the team, he says, is core to the players giving their all and
The team has been churning out a number of top players, who in turn have been plucked out by other teams to fuel their ambitions. Key among them include two former KPL top scorers John Makwatta and Steven Waruru, and while it would be a massive loss to lose such kind of players, the club opts to celebrate them for heading out for better prospects, though they have to resign from the military beforehand.
Ulinzi Stars players in a pre match warm up at the Bukhungu Stadium in Kakamega earlier in te 2018 season
sticking to the philosophy. “The players are enjoying it and I believe that is the most important thing. It is always a bit hard to change perceptions at the start but once you get the right kind of players, like I have, and get them to learn, it becomes enjoyable. “We started the season well and I believe we can win one or both of the FKF Cup and league title. Those are the targets we set and they are agreeable to the players,” he adds. The coach’s ambitions are in tandem with the chairman’s. He acknowledges
the lengthy spell without a trophy – after the 2011 Top 8 Cup – does not measure with the profile of the team. “This year our target remains to win a cup, could be the FKF Cup of the KPL title, it has been a while without a trophy and we currently have a good team so I don’t see why we should end this trophyless. Once we get that we can beef up the targets we have in the long term, we want to have a group of players, a team that can compete very strongly, in local, regional and continental tournaments,” the chairman chips in.
“KDF is an institution where people come to work on voluntary basis and out of that we are able to pick those who are players. In the military anyone can leave as long they follow the right procedure and I can say the departures have enabled us see other good players we had but didn’t have the chance. “When someone lands greener pastures it is a plus for us and we allow them to take the chance but we will also continue incorporating in the team civilian players. These are important in replacing their mates in the military who time and again leave for training or missions,” Lt. Col Oloo concludes. The team also doubles up as the Kenya national military football team, and represents the country in the military games regionally, in Africa and in the world.
Follow Dan Ngulu on Twitter: @danodinga
Nocnamed ‘The Don’ head coach Dunstan Nyaudo has changed Ulinzi Stars’ style of play to make the side play more entertaining football
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CLUB PROFILE
ULINZI STARS
Ulinzi Stars players in a slow march celebration after scoring against Nakumatt in the 2018 campaign Masita Masuta (R) in action against Nzoia Sugar earlier in the season
Oscar Wamalwa leads team mates Elvis Nandwa and John Kago to celebrate a goal in a past match
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Team Doctor John Imboywa (R) and assistant coach James Mulinge walk to the bench ahead of a past match
Ulinzi skipper James Saruni outjumps Tusker FC’s Edwin Lavatsa to make a save in the teams’ friendly match earlier in 2018
Jacktone Odhiambo in action in hid first match of the 2018 season, against Nakumatt FC
L-R: Head coach Dunstan ‘The Don’ Nyaudo with assistants JAmes Mulinge and Francis Onyiso during a past KPL game
Goalkeeper Jacktone Odhiambo makes a save in the team’s game against Chemelil Sugar earlier in the 2018 season
Ulinzi Stars players celebrate the second goal in the 2 - 0 won over Chemelil Sugar at Afraha Stadium
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STAR ON THE RISE
FRANCIS ATWOLI
STAR
on the
RISE
Francis Atwoli is the next big thing as far as goalkeeping is concerned. Signing for Sofapaka Youth after school and immediately after, getting called up to the U20 national team has built the belief he can be the best By Dan Ngulu
S
uccess in football, they say is 1% inspiration, and 99% perspiration; that is the spirit one Francis Atwoli carries to the pitch whenever he gets to play. A promising utility player, who can fit in both as a goalkeeper and a striker, Atwoli has great ambitions for his playing career and he has already tasted the goodies staying on top can bring, after his selection to the Kenya national U20 team, which played Rwanda U20 in the African Youth Championships qualifiers in 2018.
“My father used to play for our home team, Misango Red Stars, and through him I got interested in football at a very young age and by the time I was in upper primary, I was already training with senior players,” he starts us off. For Atwoli, the journey commenced at Elwangale Primary School in Khwisero, playing as a striker, and getting his first pair of boots from his dad and getting the old man to come watch him play, made him always want to give the best.
A younger sibling to Nzoia Sugar forward Morven Otinya, the goalkeeper acknowledges his roots but wants to curve his own future, away from his brother’s shadow, even though he admits his brother has been among his biggest idols.
In 2014, he advanced to St. Charles Lwanga High School, where he found out that the striking department was too congested and in his ambition to stand out, opted to switch to goalkeeping.
His father Fred Peter Akhonya was also a footballer, and through him, Atwoli got his first taste of the beautiful game and he admits his love for football was generated at a very early stage. An outstanding aspect to his football life was, ironically, his rejection of football powerhouse Kakamega High School when afforded the chance to join the giants.
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His coach then, Mr. Edmond Likuyani saw a gem in the player, as a goalkeeper, and immediately switched him to between the posts. He did well as a goalkeeper and getting to Form Three, he had been spotted by Kakamega High School for a potential switch, as the Green Commandos looked to tap into his prowess.
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STAR ON THE RISE
Fact File Full Name Date of Birth Weight Position
Francis Atwoli 5/9/ 1999 68 Kg Goalkeeper
Club Current
Sofapaka Youth
Education 2006-2013 2014-2017
Elwangale Pri. School St. Charles Lwanga
At that point it was a good turn for him, until he got to hear the terms once he switched from St. Charles. At Kakamega High School, he would go back to Form Two, an apparent move by the school to have him play for at least two years. He rejected the offer and continued with his studies at St. Charles. “Mr. Likuyani was my second father. While in primary school, I would really look up to my dad but at high school he was not there and a new mentor in Mr. Likuyani came up,” Atwoli reflects with a faraway gaze as he takes us back to 2014 when he joined St. Charles Lwanga. “After watching me switch from striking to goalkeeping, he told me not to go back and he helped me hone the skills I had. That is where my story as a goalkeeper started; he really mentored me and supported
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FRANCIS ATWOLI
me in many other ways, including throwing me the challenge by making me the team captain. With that I just had to give my all, and more.” Atwoli doesn’t regret passing the chance to join Kakamega High School. He was sure he’d make it in football either way and did not have to give up a year of his studies. What he regrets most, is the fact that with St. Charles Lwanga, they never got to go past the county level. Upon completion of his O Level studies in 2017, his brother, Otinya, then at Sofapaka, got him to try out with the club’s junior team and he immediately caught coach Edward Munandi’s attention. “When Atwoli came, he was given a chance just like any other player. As a coach at the club, 90 percent of the players I get are teenagers so you know this calls for parenting, as well as coaching; mostly it is nurturing. “But I was surprised by Atwoli because after just a few days of training him, I saw some important qualities. I saw a leader, I saw a goalkeeper, I saw a striker and I saw a youngster with the right urge and discipline to get to the next level. These are rare qualities with players at this stage so I got interested,” Munandi says. The rough diamond that the keeper is, Sofapaka goalkeeping coach George Wambugu acknowledges that with good guidance, he can rise to be the best. The coach passes a good assessment of both the keeper’s prowess and his discipline, and the fact that Atwoli has gotten to the national team, should be a motivation he hopes the keeper passes on to the other players at Sofapaka Youth.
“This is a boy who has just finished high school and is now getting into the real world of football. He has ambitions to get to the paid ranks and is very energetic. Now, it calls for good guidance out here to ensure that these qualities are well tapped, for his benefit. “I have interacted with him for a good enough period now to know that he is a good footballer and that he can grow really well with good nurturing. He is a leader, disciplined and offers a crucial edge as a keeper – the fact that he has good footwork, having played as a striker before,” Wambugu states. Atwoli is still in his formative stages as a footballer but it goes without question he is a star on the rise. He acknowledges the support from his father but also admits without guidance from his elder brother, Otinya, he may not have made it this far. “Back at home, I used to be called by various teams to play for them in tournaments after they saw my prowess and my brother would accompany me, sometimes play with me in the same team and this used to encourage me even more.
Sofapaka Youth keeper Francis Atwoli takes a breather in the team’s past training session
team (played in the friendly match against Malawi on 18 April 2017) and having already risen to the U20 national team, Atwoli hopes to get capped for Kenya. In his first season outside high school, the boy is hoping to be a key player for the Sofapaka Youth side that will be participating in the Nairobi County League. This is a
“Even now, though he left Sofapaka, he still checks on me and given we also don’t earn much at this level, he steps in to support me financially and I am very thankful. For my dad, I want to work hard and get better deals so that I can repay that support he has given me. God’s favor has been on me and I believe bigger things are coming in future and I will be able to do something really big for him,” Atwoli adds.
Mr. Likuyani was my second father. While in primary school, I would really look up to my dad but at high school he was not there and a new mentor in Mr. Likuyani came up ~ Atwoli
While he looks up to his brother, each of Atwoli’s days start with the urge to do better than his brother; to beat the challenge set by his brother. Otinya has already featured for the national
chance to showcase his talent, he says, and just like he has made the earlier ones count, he will make full use of this one.
“As my brother advances, the challenge is set for me. I want to emulate him but at the same time, work harder and do better than him. At high school, I always wanted to get the chance to feature for the national team and now I have been there and seen what it takes. “I was handled by top coaches in the country, including Charles Korea (Omondi) and I returned to my club a better player. So you see, my growth curve is just right and I want to keep it that way. On this note I also want to thank my coach here at Sofapaka – Edward
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STAR IN THE RISE
FRANCIS ATWOLI
(Munandi). He is the man who encouraged me to go and try out at the national team and gave some very positive talk despite knowing for a very short time then.” The Sofapaka Youth coach, Munandi is a key bridge between the junior and senior team. His assessment and words have turned crucial for the promotion of players from the youth team to the senior team. He was the man who pushed Atwoli to give his best at the U20 national team trials and acknowledges he is a better player now than before. “When I saw what Atwoli can do, I proposed him to the U20 national team coach, which was being handled by a well known friend and I asked if this boy can get a chance and he was among the 90 players called up. I was not surprised when he was named among the final 30. “He wasn’t so keen about it because there were many players on trials there and wanted to give up, just like many young players do. But as a coach and having seen his prowess, I believe something could be spotted with this young man. It came to be; and what’s more, we benefitted a lot as a club because he returned a better player, which is always a plus to any coach,” Munandi adds. Atwoli’s career profile will always indicate he is a keeper, but the striker’s instinct is never too far, when needed. He says he can still score goals as much as he can stop them and as coach Munandi eyes a better finish than the fourth place the team managed in 2017, he says Atwoli will be a key member. “Don’t be surprised sometime in the season when you see him deployed as an outfield player. He is good in striking just like he is a good keeper,” the coach says.
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As his star continues to rise, he is hoping to soon get the nod for the Sofapaka senior team so he may get to play in the top flight. His secret is open – to stay disciplined, foster team work, to work hard and keep the right focus.
A goalkeeper is an important player in a game; that is why we are the only ones allowed to handle the ball, we are the only ones who can make the game stop when getting treatment and we are normally protected.
As a young boy, Atwoli never got to watch the legendary Francis Onyiso play, but Onyiso’s contribution to Kenyan football is well documented. The young keeper who started as a striker, wants to write the same history for Kenya someday. He wishes to play at that level and be what Onyiso was to the country at his prime. Among the current players, Atwoli’s pick for idols is what any keeper would go for – Kenyan internationals Patrick Matasi and Arnold Origi but at his club he has an established man that he looks up to each day of his career – Mathias Kigonya. “I want to one day be what Onyiso was to this country,” he says, “but at the moment I really admire how Matasi and Origi do their business in goal. These are two keepers very tough to beat and any
upcoming keeper would like to be like them. “Apart from the two, there is one star that I found at Sofapaka – Kigonya. I think if you are a keeper my age and you watch Kigonya train every day, it is a great chance to learn crucial aspects about being a top keeper. I am lucky to be in the same club with him,” he notes, as he adds that his best in the world remains Germany and Bayern Munich keeper Manuel Neuer. Aged just 18, the keeper knows the crucial importance his position is to any team, and while he works each day to achieve his dreams, he knows there are qualities that scouts eyeing keepers will always look for. “A goalkeeper is an important player in a game; that is why we are the only ones allowed to handle the ball, we are the only ones who can make the game stop when getting treatment and we are normally protected. “A striker can lose concentration but the team will still win. It is not the same with the keeper, who is the last line of defence. A keeper is always a leader because you are the man all your team mates expect to save the situation when everything else fails.
Francis Atwoli with Sofapaka goalkeeping coach George Wambugu and fellow keeper Emmanuel Opiyo after a previous training session
“A good keeper is also adept at ball handling when it comes to back passes and ball distribution. The modern day keeper at times plays as a sweeper – like Neuer – and also gives assists for the midfielders and strikers to score. You have to be good with your feet just as you are with the hands,” he concludes.
Follow Dan Ngulu on Twitter: @danodinga
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INTERVIEW
ANTONY MWANGI
THE BIG INTERVIEW ANTONY MWANGI: CAREER OF TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS AMID FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES By Imran Otieno What is your footballing history? My early years were actually spent in Tanzania which helped shape my childhood years up till around 1993 when the sojourn ended and we relocated to Nairobi. We settled in Kayole and I joined St. Mary’s which is just within the neighborhood. When I was in primary school I used to play for the school team while also engaging in the Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) tournaments. In 2001 I completed my high school studies and continued playing football because it was what I loved. Due to the financial struggles in my family I couldn’t get to University but I continued playing for MYSA.
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My dream of making it pro was cut short when I sustained an ankle injury and that’s how my playing career was crushed before it could take off. How did you transition into coaching? My enthusiasm for the sport pushed me to enroll for refereeing courses at MYSA, which went quite well as I was part of the match officials team that went for the 2005 East Africa Cup in Tanzania. Upon my return to the country after the tournament, Francis Kimanzi and the late Peter Serry advised me to take up coaching courses. In 2008 my team from Kayole won the under 16 MYSA championship which boosted my credentials and the following
year I was nominated to go for the Norway Cup with my team. We did exceptionally well despite being eliminated at the quarter final hurdle. On the same tour we advanced to Holland for another tournament where we went one better and got eliminated in the semis. Three quarters of that team now ply their trade in the Kenyan Premier League, the likes of Harrison Mwendwa, Robinson Kamura and Tyrus Omondi just to mention a few. When Jacob Ghost Mulee was looking for coaches for his newly launched Liberty
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INTERVIEW
ANTONY MWANGI
Academy I decided to give it a shot and after a one month probation I was confirmed and I worked with Ghost until 2014 when I joined Nakumatt and as they say the rest is history. How did you end up at Nakumatt from Liberty? Nakumatt always organized friendlies with Liberty, at that time Nakumatt plied their trade in the second division and we were a team comprised of players under the age of 20. They failed to master a win against us in all the occasions we met. The first friendly ended in a 2-2 draw followed by two other draws of 3-3 and 0-0, so Giovanni Troiani the manager at that time got curious and sought to find out the man behind Liberty’s rise, and coincidentally at that time he was on the hunt for an assistant coach who would take over training sessions as he was more of a manager who would manage the team during games. He approached me and I accepted the offer which only lasted for the rest of that season. At the end of the season he told me he was looking for a new assistant coach freeing me to look for another club. To me the decision came as a shock because up to date I don’t know what his reasons were. What gave you a second chance at Nakumatt? After the split with Giovanni I wanted to go back to Liberty but Nakumatt (Supermarket) offered me a job and I worked there for the whole of 2015, then at the end of 2016 Football Kenyan Federation (FKF) came up with the Club Licensing regulations, which required coaches to have CAF Level C licenses at the minimum. I was handed the coaching role because I was a holder of the license and Giovanni lacked the necessary papers. I was surprised by the decision to reinstate me as the coach because I was still puzzled as to why I was shown the door two years earlier but I accepted the offer because I didn’t hold any vengeance. Giovanni was then redeployed to the 38 soka.co.ke
Nakumatt coch Antony Mwangi (left) with a technical team member, Ben Omukuya follow action on the pitch in a past league match
Technical Director’s role. How was the experience of taking over the reins from Giovanni? It was a challenging experience because I had never been the head coach in the elite league. The first six months went as I planned until the financial issues hit the club. In the second half of the season we really struggled because of the financial constraints which pushed players to abscond training. The state of the club saw Giovanni leave and I was also left without a Technical Director but I battled to keep the team in the Premier League. I succeeded and I thank God for that. You were out of coaching for two years, how actively were you involved in the sport? At that time I served as a trainer for Kayole Starlets, a ladies’ soccer team in the Kenya Women Premier League. I used to leave work at 5pm then proceed to their training ground. I also used to coach First Touch Academy a football academy I co-founded with George Mwangi so every Saturday we used to hold training clinics near Safari Park to keep me in touch with the game.
How has Nakumatt contributed to your growth in your coaching career? I give all thanks to the Lord because I never thought I could get to this level, and especially in the manner and speed that I did. My experience was not that vast, having only coached for a single season and I was thrown straight into the deep end in the 2017 season having never previously coached in the Premier League and we all know how tough and demanding the KPL is, but all this I credit to Ghost Mulee who has been my father figure and mentor up till now I still consult him on some issues. The KPL is a huge challenge that I welcomed with open arms because you brush shoulders with different caliber of players, some are foreign imports, some have been handled by more experienced coaches and some even play for the national team which is a huge plus for me. Having worked under Giovanni, how did he shape your career? The Italian had masterminded the art of reading game situations and he also knew the strength of players he has at his disposal. At first he struggled to find his footing because
Antony Mwangi (with cap) talks to his technical bench members ahead of a past league game
adapting to a foreign league is always hard but after playing with every team he found it manageable playing in the Nationwide. How hard was it to convince some of your players to stay despite the financial difficulties? As I said earlier Ghost Mulee has really helped me, offering sound advice on these trying times on how to talk to the players and handle them in every situation. The key thing was just having a proper dialogue with the players and assuring them that things will be alright in the future and also advising them to continue training with the club as they look for possible suitors. I also encouraged them to use the opportunity to showcase their prowess and train hard because when a club comes to scout it mostly focuses on the fitter players and there’s a likelihood those who have not been training are unfit. You signed 17 players, how did you convince them to join? We conducted open trials and
spent nothing because we had no transfer budget allocated for the team, so after seeing potential in the trialists we had a sit down with them, assuring them that things will get better once we woo a new sponsor. That is why I commend my players because they understand the situation and if money was pumped into the club then definitely we would see a huge turn in fortunes. Were there any offers for you after the 2017 season? I had two offers which I can’t reveal because they were not that concrete. I decided to stay because of my passion for football and coaching in the KPL is an opportunity I cherish so much and hold close to my heart so I let that chance pass. I’m still trying to build a name for myself in the league and I’m still new in this trade having spent only a season in the league so I’m still trying to establish myself. What is the best moment of your career? The second leg game against Gor Mahia last season (Nakumatt 0-1
Gor Mahia, Wednesday 2 August 2017). Despite the loss, we played well and I applaud the boys for the commendable effort even though we had not trained adequately for the game. How do you describe your debut season in the KPL? It’s challenging for me especially dealing with the huge atmosphere in the games against Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards and handling the pressure at the big stage. Giovanni assisted in some situations because he was the technical director and also encouraged the team every time. What was your experience when the team was promoted to the KPL? It’s a big plus for me because very many experienced coaches have been in the second tier before but have never managed to push a team into top flight football. Some have even tried for like 10 years and promise to retire after gaining promotion because it’s something that has eluded them for long. I owe the promotion to the Lord because it’s something I never expected
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especially being the head coach after the team was promoted and still keeping the team for a second season despite the challenges. What does the future hold for you in terms of coaching? All I want now is to churn out good players and continue mentoring them as I coach; producing good players is my priority because it’s something I enjoy and take pride in. At least three quarters of the players I coached at Liberty are now playing in the top league right now and it is my pleasure when I see them excel. I want to see many of the players who have passed through my hands make it to Europe. Aside from that I also want make a name for myself. Few people know that you coached Olunga, can you describe your experience working with the player? I chest thump a lot for having played a crucial part in the developing stages of (Michael) Olunga. I talked to Ghost Mulee to sign him up because he was a rough diamond and needed some polishing to be a complete player. Ghost agreed to the offer because Olunga’s talent was clear to see. When he joined Upper Hill I was fortunate to coach him there as well as at Liberty. For the two years in Upper Hill we went all the way to the national school games and he was still peaking and showing no signs of slowing down. I am very happy to see him grow, moving from Liberty to Thika, Tusker, Gor Mahia and finally to Europe, with a brief stint in China. Did you foresee that Olunga would one day become the player that he is today? His concentration was majorly on books because he was a smart boy, so I thought he would make it one day maybe after clearing his university but I didn’t see him peak that quickly. One thing in which I admire in him was his discipline in which he still
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Antony Mwangi on the bench during the game against Ulinzi Stars at Kenyatta Stadium, Machakos
upholds today and would call on upcoming footballers to emulate. You lost 18 players in the January transfer window, how did you cope with this? It was a huge blow to me and the team, losing players that you have been with for a long time and those who know your football philosophy is a coach’s nightmare. I’d say circumstances are what pushed them to leave. What is your season target? We set huge ambitions this season; yes, we had an awful campaign last season but this season we aimed for a top eight finish but the financial crisis has really affected us for now I’ll have to wait till the second half of the season to see if we can achieve our initial target. What experience did you gain from fighting the relegation battle? Any coach will tell you this isn’t a battle they would want to engage in, but sometimes it happens. I felt
the pressure weighing down on my shoulders, it affected my family too as I sometimes I got so stressed and it was difficult for my wife to understand the situation we were in. Towards the final games of the season, we used to just meet on match days and play without training the whole week. My main aim was to avoid the drop but the experience was something that molds you as a coach and helps you develop a thick skin and endurance that will certainly come in handy in the future. Best game of your career so far? The 1-0 win against Sony Sugar last season, because we were desperate for the three points and the win also came at a crucial stage in the season. I’d also say the Kakamega Homeboyz game – we won away and it really helped us in the relegation scrap.
Follow Imran Otieno on Twitter: @Imran_Otieno
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WOMEN FOOTBALL
KEMU QUEENS
the AND OF
fall
KeMU Queens
KeMU Queens once held the profile as a football powerhouse but all that came to a screeching halt when scholarships awarded to players were stopped By Terry Ouko
K
enya Methodist University may not strike lots of people as one of the colleges that would take sporting activities seriously, especially women’s football. In as much as someone without background checks may write off the institution in an instant, it has actually been a major contributor in matters football For the last decade. Between 2012 and 2015 footballers at the university enjoyed a good sponsorships for their education as they took part in the sport, but their bubble was burst in 2016, when the institution revoked the football scholarships that were intended to enable the players study without incurring any costs. It is a no brainer that over the years, women football in Kenya has not been sustainable and most players choose to use the game as a stepping stone to acquire education as well as employment Such was the case with several
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players who landed the scholarships, knowing too well that all they needed to do was play and study. The idea of sponsorships came up after a majority of the players left the National Youth Talent Academy (NYTA) without a proper exit strategy, despite having been hopeful that they would land sponsorships and possible education scholarships from the Ministry of Sports/ UNICEF partnership. Kenyan international midfielder Cheris Avilia formerly of NYTA and Matuu FC was among the beneficiaries whose stars were dimmed at the withdrawal of the deal. Funding for her Business Administration course came to a halt but having already gotten the platform, with a chance at the national team, she is able to pay for her education albeit in bits from the stipend she gets while on national assignments.
KeMU Queens team pose for a group pic during a past Safaricom Sakata Ball Championship game in Machakos
”Football has given me the opportunity to travel far and wide and to rub shoulders with respected people in the society, and playing for the national team makes people to respect me and others say am like a role model to them. Education is very crucial, it helps me think critically in different situations. Another thing, KEMU is a very spiritual institution and I can say they also nourished me spiritually and I learnt how to coexist in the society because in school you meet different people and one should learn how to handle each and every person. It is unfortunate that we missed the scholarship opportunities that we thought would bear fruit, but I believe when one door closes another one opens,” she explains. Just like Avilia, the likes of sensational forward Esse Akida, are yet to complete their studies after opting not to give up along the way. She has however resorted to the distance learning mode where she gets to study from home. This to her has been a convenient way of studying especially when she is needed at the national team camp. “We had high expectations when we joined KeMU and my parents were excited that finally playing football was paying off. I was a student at the KeMU Mombasa campus but had to move in order to play actively at the Meru campus which I must say was
enjoyable. I not only got a chance to study but also kept fit for the national assignments which to me was a way of killlig two birds with one stone. It is disappointing that we did not get full schholarships but atleast our stay at KeMU was good for something,” Akida remarks.
During my time as a games tutor at the school, I had a vision that we will one day assemble a strong ladies team that will do wonders and a few years later when I was the dean of students we successfully did it ~ Kubai Background KeMU Queens football team was established in the year 2006 by the then Dean of Student Jeff Kubai an alumni of Kenyatta University. Kubai who has a first degree in Sports and a Masters degree in Psychology created the sports structures at KeMU and his priceless support contributed to the growth of football at the institution during the formative years.
Thanks to his efforts, the Meru based institution is arguably one of the Universities in Kenya and East Africa that have made great impact in women football. Kenyatta University (KU) and Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) have been their bitter rivals in the Kenya University Sports Association (KUSA) games and East Africa University Games (EAUG) over the years. A match involving KeMU against KU, MMUST or Makerere University has always proved to be a mouthwatering encounter. While KU, MMUST and Makerere University have won several University titles, KeMU have not only won titles but also the hearts of their fans with their beautiful football display. A pioneer of the scholarship program Mr. Kubai believes that the vision they had almost bore fruit. “During my time as a games tutor at the school, I had a vision that we will one day assemble a strong ladies team that will do wonders and a few years later when I was the dean of students we successfully did it. The plan was to get the players scholarships, since most of them are from humble backgrounds. I am proud that we tried and achieved most of the things even if the program was shortlived,” Kubai states.
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KEMU QUEENS
KeMU players celebrate with head coach Hillary Mukasa after winning the trophy in a past TOURNAMENT
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University Games Kenya hosted the All Africa University Games in July in 2014 at the University of Nairobi, where KeMU finished second overall after losing on post match penalties to Ugandan side Makerere University in the final. Earlier on in the preliminaries KeMU had beaten Makerere University 3-0 but failed to replicate the same in the final. In 2010 KeMU Queens participated in their first ever East Africa University Games (EAUG), which were hosted by Kenyatta University. The team finished second overall after KU who bagged the gold medal. KeMU then participated in the EAUG in 2012 in Dar res salaam University in Tanzania. Here they drew in their first two matches against University of Eldoret and Kenyatta University before losing to Makerere University and Kampala University who were the ultimate winners. According to the then team captain Maureen Ater who currently plies her trade at Vihiga Queens, the team was a force to reckon with. “There was a time we could send jitters down our opponents’ spines just by stepping into the pitch. We won most of our matches during warm up, way before they started because of the slick passing and the way we had gelled over the years since most of us had played in the same teams before. If not for the failed scholarship program that saw us drop out of the Kenya Women Premier League after earning promotion with an unbeaten record, we could have been the team to watch in the top league,” Ater recounts. KeMU Queens won their first Kenya Universities Sports Association (KUSA) National Championship in 2011 at Ruaraka grounds in Nairobi after beating arch rivals Kenyatta University 3-0 in an entertaining final. During the match the then KeMU Queens Captain Tabitha Chege is remembered for scoring the goal
of the tournament, after receiving a perfect cross from Glory Kinya, before expertly directing the ball into the corner of the net with her instep as the KU goalkeeper watched helplessly.
cause, absorbing several players in their football schorlaship program, 11 of them were either in the senior national team or had previously featured for the Kenya U20 side and the National Youth Talent Academy.
The leadership of Tabitha Chege and Maurine Achieng as captain and vice was remarkable. Maureen was the most experienced player in that team since she went through the Mathare Youth Sports Association program
Two years later, KeMU midfielder Cheris Avilia would score the wonder goal that saw Kenya qualify for the first ever Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) tournament. In the same year, KeMU won the FKF
It is sad that most of the good players we had, opted to move to other teams, while others discountinued their courses due to lack of funds ~ Achieng and also took part in the Norway Cup in her earlier years. In 2011 KeMU Queens also won the annual JKUAT sports tournament trophy after beating all their opponents. Achieng is currently a nurse and credits football for being able to meet her goal in life. Despite being at MYSA and having had a chance to play club football before, she decided to concentrate on studies and college football. This, she says was intentional since her aim was always to pursue her nursing career regardless of how hard balancing the two was at times.
National Division One League with the likes of Esse Akida, Neddy Atieno, Sharon Bushenei, Kate Syprine, Maureen Ater, Enez Mango, Samantha Akinyi and Lillian Adera, just to mention a few who were all in the Harambee Starlets team. It is around that period that KeMU played a build up match against Harambee Starlets at Moi International Sports Complex Kasarani, with Neddy Atieno and Esse Akida of KeMU scoring the all-
“It is sad that most of the good players we had, opted to move to other teams, while others discountinued their courses due to lack of funds. There are superb players and I have since watched the likes of Lilian Adera and Cheris Avilia score very decisive goals for the national team, Harambee Starlets and to me that is something we should be proud of. A ladies team can still be revived and despite the past experience I know KeMU is a sleeping giant that will rise again,” Achieng said. National team After KeMU embarked on a noble Cheris Avilia of KeMU against a Matuu Opponent in a past Safaricom Sakata Ball championship in Machakos
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featured for the club in 2011 during the Sakata ball games that saw Matuu Heroes progress to the nationals as the regional champions after beating KeMU 1-0 in the final. “KeMU performs a lot of CSR activities through football. In June 2009 KeMU hosted a soccer coaching clinic. Kubai was the facilitator while the late legendary Coach, James Sianga was the instructor. The course was attended by teachers from high schools, primary schools, Universities, colleges and community teams. Cheris Avilia, Samanther Akinyi and Esse Akida of KeMU amongst other Starlets at State house
important goals for Starlets against their University in a match that ended 2-0 in favour of Harambee Starlets. It was evident that despite missing eight key players from the team, coach Hillary Mukasa had depth in his squad. Akida is probably the most popular of all the KeMU players after bagging the golden boot in Spain during the COTIF tournament, winning the Sports Journalists Association of Kenya Chairman’s award in 2017 and being recognized as a Kilifi heroine during
the Mashujaa day celebrations in 2016 due to her achievements at the national team. “I am still at KeMU and even had to miss the AWCON qualification match against Uganda in order to sit for my exams. My aim is to graduate and look for a sustainable job since I am not getting any younger. It is my belief that I still have a lot to offer at club and national team level thanks
Lack of Sponsorship They say a good name is better than silver and gold. The ladies team did all to give the University a good name, in terms of registering the best results. Their efforts were however thwarted when the schorlaship
Maureen was the most experienced player in that team since she went through the Mathare Youth Sports Association program to the contribution KeMU has had on my career,” she continues.
KeMU Queens coach Hillary Mukasa poses with one of the trophies the team won during their good days
Participants came from Meru, Isiolo, Maua, and Nanyuki and all the way from Marsabit. Besides, there were several football camps where the girls got an opportuninty to build their capacities in coaching and refereeing,” she says.
CSR Not only players benefited from the program, but also the community at large. Community service programs including organized coaching clinics were hosted in Meru thanks to the institution. Former Harambee Starlets defender Sylvia Wasilwa who was the assistant coach at the college then asserts that KeMU had a good plan. She was not only part of the technical bench, butalso
program came to a schreeching halt. While a section of the students had to discontinue their courses, others opted to pay school fees on their own albeit with difficulty. Harambee starlets forward Neddy Atieno who was studying Education at the time had to quit college in order to try and pursue football professionally. She then tried her hand in the Nigerian top tier league, turning out for Sunshine Queens albeit briefly as she opted to come back to rejoin Makolandars in the Kenyan Women Premier League
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(KWPL) and soon after was forced to make a tough decision, to either join the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) or stay out to get a chance to play at the 2016 AWCON. Neddy opted to join the military and forego a chance to feature in the continental showpiece. “I have had to make tough choices in the past after the scholarship program came to an end. I had to drop out and try and go professional but then again I realized that it was time to secure a job first in order to fend for my family. It is frustrating to get all the attention and publicity especially at the national team and yet a stable income is not guaranteed. I would have loved to complete the teaching course I started at KeMU but when we were told that we had to pay the huge fee arrears I had to look for an alternative way out,” Atieno explains. KeMU Queens coach Mukasa has for the last decade has been on the forefront in championing for girls’ education to complement their football careers. He is glad that KeMU tried assisting the girls but laments that it did not last as long as desired. “Football is a short career and that is why it is important
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for players to embrace education in order to secure their future. KeMU therefore gave the girls a platform to showcase their talent and study at the same time. The University withdrew its sponsorship for the leagues because of financial constraints due to a drop in the student population. KeMU has sponsored all sports activities fully in the past decade. The University has never failed to participate in any KUSA and East Africa National games since 2009, and we hope to rebuild again,” Mukasa concludes. In as much as the ladies’ team evidently often grabbed the headlines, the men’s team also participated in the provincial league in 2012 and 2013. They then earned a promotion to the FKF division one in 2014 after finishing second in the Mini League. Sadly, both teams were hit by the institution’s financial contraints.
Follow Terry Ouko on Twitter: @Terry_Ouko
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BIDII FOOTBALL ACADEMY
BIDII football
Academy Meru parents have a gem in Bidii Football Academy, the avenue through which a number of youngsters have gotten the chance to not just play football but also merge it with academics By Terry Ouko
T
hat the inception of Bidii Football Academy in 2013 was a blessing to the Meru residents is not in doubt, as Brian Munene is confident of finishing his high school education without paying a dime. His education expenses are being settled by Olympic High School, where the academy’s management successfully negotiated for his scholarship. He is one among the players from the academy who have earned chances in secondary schools due to their exemplary football skills and have have been incorporated in the scholarship program. Martin Mburugu, Lewis Mwenda, Dennis Kimathi, Kenneth Kimathi, Kevin Githui, and Kelvin Mbae are studying at Bishop Lawi Imathiu High School in Meru. Eric Bundi and custodian Evans Mwiti are with Upperhill while Brother Beausang picked Brian Gikundi. That is how far the Meru based academy has gone in helping youngsters from humble backgrounds access education. The fact that Munene can pursue a degree if he performs well at high school level makes him a happy student. He describes Bidii Academy as a family that has been able to help talented players refrain from non-constructive activities such as taking drugs. He hopes that besides
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education he will be able to play professional football abroad which is his dream. “The Academy got me a scholarship at Olympic High School in Nairobi and now it is a guarantee that I will be able to finish my high school education because the school caters for everything I need. I am happy to be on the right track in terms of education and that I will be able to join university which is my ultimate goal. It is great being at Bidii because they support those who are less fortunate and we live like a family. We are also able to use our energy and our minds on helpful activities since we spend most of our time on the pitch. My dream as a player is to play professional football abroad,” he says. Dennis Mwiti concurs with Munene’s sentiments, he reveals that youth at the academy dedicate most of the leisure time to learn both on field and off field skills. He believes if more youth enroll at the academy they will benefit since they will interact with the current pool youth in constructive matters. Besides the scholarship programs, the players are also able to go through peer education sessions aimed at equipping them with life skills. “I joined the Academy while still young and since
CURRENT CURRENTISSUES ISSUES
CURRENT CURRENT ISSUES ISSUES
Bidii Academy players and coach post for a team photo
then I have been fully focused on developing my talent and learning. I urge more youth to join us because the academy has a lot to offer. We are a number of youth at Bidii and do not have time to associated ourselves with destructive stuff. During a free time we attend training sessions or honoring matches so we are fully occupied,” he states.
paid so I have a smooth time when it comes to studying. On the pitch I have been able to feature for several division one teams which has helped me gain experience. I scored a good number of goals in the Chapa Dimba games, and so I believe that I can maintain my form going forward in order to achieve my dream of joining the national team,” he notes.
He got a chance at Bishop Lawi Imathiu for his secondary education and just like Munene he will get a full scholarship. On field the player lauds Bidii for handing him chance to feature for Division one clubs in the region. He feels that he has had a lot of exposure at the academy with his latest achievement being the top scorer gong in the Chapa Dimba Meru region. Mwiti looks forward to playing in the Kenyan Premier League (KPL).
The urge to give back to the community and the need to bridge
Munene’s prowess is evident due to the fact that he was able to score 12 goals in the just concluded Safaricom sponsored Chapa Dimba tournament at the regional level. “I attend Bishop Lawi and despite it being a day school, my fees are fully
and it has the U-19, U-17, U-14 and U-12 categories. Mukasa says the fact that he was a beneficiary of youth football in his heyday, prompted him to put up the academy to serve talented youth. His dream to give back to the community has come to pass and his vision is to help nurture more talent in the area using the skills he has acquired over time as an FKF – trained coach.
The urge to give back to the community and the need to bridge the gap in terms of football development in Meru region was what gave birth to the idea of setting up Bidii Academy the gap in terms of football development in Meru region was what gave birth to the idea of setting up Bidii Academy. The academy is slowly becoming a Centre of Excellence in the region. The brainchild behind Bidii Academy is Anthony Mukasa, a former Kangemi United FC player. He set up the facility five years ago
“I established Bidii sports academy as a way of giving back to the community. The gap in development of youth football in Meru was another motivating factor. Personally as a youth I got an opportunity to train and play in youth tournaments for Water Works junior team in Nairobi. The senior team was in the top tier with players such as Dunstan Nyaudo, soka.co.ke 51
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BIDII FOOTBALL ACADEMY
Kakamega High School’s Green Commandos. “At Bidii Academy, I have learnt the values of discipline and team work. I have developed my life skills besides developing my soccer skills. I can say that the academy helped me realize my potential. I would like to be a football instructor in future and I believe this is the starting point,” he said. Bidii Academy players prepare for a past training session
Joel Birgen and Benjamin Nyangweso.
Football academies are rare in the region, which has cleared the way for Bidii to be well received by the residents. The fact that youngsters get the chance to play football and also pursue their academics has sunk in well with parents.
“At senior level I played for Kangemi United briefly before leaving for Moi University to study,” he opens up.
passing, heading and juggling. I am 12 years old and would like to play for AFC Leopards when I grow up. I hope to join Starehe Boys center for my high school education and
The academy which holds its training sessions at Meru Teachers College, KeMU or Kaaga Methodist Church depending on the availability of the venues serves youths from neighboring primary schools in the region.
Football academies are rare in the region, which has cleared the way for Bidii to be well received by the residents. The fact that youngsters get the chance to play football and also pursue their academics has sunk in well with parents
While Bidii is keen on promoting talent, it goes an extra mile in ensuring the youngsters are taught life skills, communication and religion, apart from helping them get formal education. “We aim to encourage youths to develop their football talent and combine this with academics. Players also learn life skills, communication and religious matters. The academy aims at making a person before making a player. Producing a holistic player is the main aim,” he added. Clement Kawere, currently the U14 team captain, is another beneficiary of Bidii Academy. The 12 year old attests to improving a lot as a player in his short stint at the academy. As his young dreams are nurtured, he says the ultimate target is to someday feature in the KPL for giants AFC Leopards but also excel in academics. “Bidii Sports Academy has helped me learn football skills such as dribbling,
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afterwards pursue my University studies,” Kawere reveals. “I have also learnt how to be a leader by emulating Coach Mukasa. He is friendly and patient with us and does not shout at us. He has helped me learn about leadership after I was named the captain of the U-14 side” he continues. Fullback Martin Mburugo, popularly known as Puyol, is happy to have identified his potential at a tender age, having joined the Academy while he was in Class Four. He made the cut for the U17 national team trials at Kasarani in 2016, featured for County League side Spartan FC and Kambakia Tigers, and played in the FKF Division 2 for Mutindwa FC in 2017. He also had trials with National Super League (NSL) side and 11 time national secondary school games champions
With all the benefits in line, the academy operations are still maintained on a shoestring budget and mainly depend on Mukasa’s financial aid as well as parents and
friends contributions. Mukasa admits it is tough but he is making plans to have partnerships with nongovernmental organizations and the Meru County Government and set up income generating activities for smooth operations. He also hopes to partner with more schools in order to get more scholarships for talented kids. A lack of enough role models from the region and the need to have most people do voluntary work for the academy also rank as high challenges that Mukasa looks to surmount. “From inception I have supported a lot by purchasing uniforms, equipment such as balls, bibs, cones. When travelling for matches, parents and friends of the team have contributed for facilitation but we realize the need to secure the academy’s future and there are plans to have partnerships with the county and other NGO’s, have income – generating activities for sustainability and also partner with more schools in the region and beyond,” he states. “Like many teams in Africa and Kenya to be specific, lack of sufficient funds to run the academy is the major challenge. Running an academy is expensive since it requires
equipment, facilities and personnel like coaches and team doctors. I am hopeful that in the next three years or so, Bidii Academy will have all the requisite equipment with the coming of the county government to support the program. The other challenge is
Our main aim is to change lives through football, and that is why we endeavor to not only support talented kids, but also champion for morality and encourage the children to take education seriously ~ Munene that currently there is no KPL team from Meru to motivate the young boys to join when they grow up; there are few role models to emulate,” he adds. Chapa Dimba The recent achievements have seen Bidii Sports Academy take part in the just concluded Chapa Dimba na Safaricom, and emerged as the champions of Meru County before being knocked out by Taqwa FC in the
regional stage. The team also won the Mashujaa Cup in Meru in 2017. Mukasa doesn’t run the academy alone, he has a team of volunteers who help the Academy run its daily activities. Isaac Munene an employee of Meru County Sports Department serves as team manager of Bidii. Munene also supports the team with equipment and securing Kinoru Stadium for matches and tournaments. Mukasa mentors the players and takes them through life skills while Ian Munene handles the U14 squad while Faith Wangeci is a volunteer team doctor at the academy. The academy has produced the likes of Anthony Murithi who went on to join Ulinzi Stars, Michael Odongo currently with Thika United and Anthony Njeru and hopes to add more names to this list of successful graduates. Community service The academy also takes part in community service activities, including visiting and donating to children’s homes in Meru, as well as holding clean ups and offering of mentorship and counselling programs in schools in the region. “Our main aim is to change lives through football, and that is why we endeavor to not only support talented kids, but also champion for morality and encourage the children to take education seriously through our mentorship sessions. It is my prayer that we can get more positive synergies along the way and do even greater things in the process,” Isaac says.
Follow Terry Ouko on Twitter: @Terry_Ouko
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Legend LEGEND OF THE GAME
DUNCAN OCHIENG
of the
Game
Duncan Ochieng:
The Art of Staying at The Top By Fabian Odhiambo “Even I don’t have that kind of discipline,’’ laughs one Anastasia Ochieng. If the team has a match and is not in camp he will be right here at home. That is some level of discipline you rarely don’t find in the modern day footballer.’’ Duncan Ochieng was 28 when he decided to settle down with Anastasia - the mother of his child Shaniz Aketch Ochieng, and – as this interview with the former Kenyan International reveals- a true better half of the goalkeeper. ‘’I will play while I still can. There is not stopping for me as long as the body agrees. All this is God’s plan and you can just never decide for yourself,’’ Ochieng starts us off as we settle down in his home in South B. For 21 years he has been in the top flight, two of those spent abroad, but still- at the top of his game. Currently skippering Tusker Football Club, the lanky shot stopper hasn’t forgotten where and how it all began for him. With most of our footballers here in Kenya- it almost, always starts with someone in the family being involved. It’s not different for Dunco. 54 soka.co.ke
‘’I would follow my father and brother to training at Luo Union, stand behind the goalposts and watch. The old man would throw me in between the sticks whenever one of his goalkeepers made a mistake or took too long to cope,’’ recalls Ochieng whose interest in the game begins here. Hezron Ogada was Ochieng’s father and Ronald Otieno his older brother. Despite not staying too long under his father’s watch- Duncan reunited with Otieno at Utalii a couple of years later. He would make his debut for the side in 1999, still a teenager then. Before Utalii, however, he knows too well of how two youth clubs sharpened him for top flight football. St. Charles Lwanga under coach Leonard Saleh was his first real experience with competitive football. Tagging along with Saleh to Mathare Youth Sports
Association (MYSA) when the coach left St. Charles Lwanga, Ochieng had already shown signs that he was destined for greater things. It’s not every day that a coach insists on moving along with a teenager to a different club when switching stations. ‘’I’d say MYSA is a household name because of what it did to young players like me. I remember briefly after joining their youth teams, we headed to Europe for the Norway Cup and that was huge for me. Many players that made this trip yearly have come out to be great players for the national team,’’ says Duncan who currently offers his coaching expertise at the Kenya Soccer School. Mrs. Ochieng offers further insight on how developing in a youth set-up at Mathare inspired her husband to want to do the same when comes to the sunset years of his career. ‘’Duncan keeps a very enviable relationship with his peers. I have seen his relationship with Arnold (Origi) grow from the time they were just boys. Always wanting to keep together and learn from each other. He may not have stayed longer in Europe himself but I thank Origi for being a true friend. Both are products of Mathare Youth and it makes me happy to see Duncan mentor kids at the Kenya Soccer School. You should see how parents to these kids are always elated to see their children being mentored by a former international. It is part of giving back for us, and for Duncan- he intends to start an Academy of his own when he finally calls it a day,’’ says Mrs Ochieng. The man hasn’t changed much, his imposing frame between the sticks being thrown into the fray for Tusker a number of times this season. The 21 years may fool one that the father of one has had six month stints in all the Kenyan clubs. Far from it, Ochieng has only played for four
soka.co.ke 55
LEGEND OF THE GAME
DUNCAN OCHIENG
Kenyan clubs, if Utalii still counts that is. When he sets his eyes on a course, the 2008 league winner with Mathare United accomplishes it. Mathare sure springs up a lot of time in his career, so why the brief stopovers elsewhere? ‘’Utalii made a good offer when I was at Mathare – who by the way were not yet in the top flight. Utalii would help pay my fees and being a premiership side I decided to join them. I have to mention that my brother was also there at the time,’’ chuckles Ochieng who only spent a year at Utalii. ‘’Things have changed presently, the game has surely improved. I remember back them we could show up for an away match and the home team would be nowhere to be
seen. Sometimes it would be the referee, or one of his assistants,’’ he adds. Ochieng’s first professional stints came in two split years while still at Mathare United. He attributes this to the fact that they were mere loan deals hence the need to come back home when they expired. Vietnam
‘’They discuss a lot, that’s what I noticed from his time at the national team. A match ends but they still call each other and seriously talk about what happened. I have seen the likes
Aggressive on the pitch yet relatively calm out of it- Owino, alongside Edgar Fighter Ochieng, Atudo Joackins and Abud Omar are the four that Duncan would name ahead of him in any match given a chance he says- was his first real foray out of the country in 2005 and a trip to Sweden followed two years later. In Kenya, Sofapaka would be a stopover too but it is at Tusker that he would spend his later years- and enjoy quite some success too. The 2016 double with Tusker marked the highlight or a trophy-decorated career that goes back to 1999. Mrs Ochieng says they don’t even know where some trophies are. “All these you see here tell a story of Duncan the goalkeeper. And they are not all. They go way back to when he started playing in the top flight. You know apart from the overall awards at the galas, there are these other trophies given by the respective clubs, there are a lot of those among these,’’ says Anastasia of the man whose friends list reads like an executive list of carefully vetted persons. Being the wife of a longserving keeper like Duncan means Anastasia will definitely
56 soka.co.ke
interact with his close friends. She is keen to point out that this has largely contributed to the keeper’s lengthy stay in between the sticks.
of Francis Kahata, Shikokoti Joseph, Hillary Echesa, George Owino, Baraza John, The Mulamas, Kasaya Wycliffe, Boniface Oluoch keep a close relationship with him. They offer advice, share on what’s coming and basically psyche each other up,’’ adds Mrs. Ochieng. David Owino makes the cut for the dream back four that Duncan wished to have played with all at once. Aggressive on the pitch yet relatively calm out of it- Owino, alongside Edgar Fighter Ochieng, Atudo Joackins and Abud Omar are the four that Duncan would name ahead of him in any match given a chance. He has played with all save for Owino who won two league titles with Gor Mahia before venturing South with Zesco United. He also lives for Gor Mahia matches, Duncan. They add an extra spice to the otherwise normal fixtures and even though an average person sees a tough fixture for Gor Mahia’s opponents in any match- Duncan sees fun. ‘’I always loved and still love playing against them. There’s something about the team that makes you want to face them every week. The fans of course, add to the flavour and make the matches even more interesting,’’ he says.
Clubs
National team Date
Kenya
Senior games
Kenya
2003– 2005
Mathare United
Kenya
21 Apr Yadegar-e Iran 1997 Emam Stadium
3-0 (L)
Mumias Sugar
First cap
2005– 2006
Sông Lam Nghệ An
Vietnam
Last cap
12 Dec 2013
2-0 (W)
2006– 2007
Mathare United
Kenya
Span
2007
IK Sleipner
Sweden
2008– 2010
Mathare United
Kenya
2011
Tusker
Kenya
2012–
Sofapaka
Kenya Kenya
Year
Club
Country
1994– 2001
Mathare United
2002
2014– Tusker present Break down Games Kenya U21 Kenya U23
2
Senior
57
Total
60
Ochieng made his debut for the national teams at an early age- at 16 for example, while turning out for the national U20 team, he occasionally made the cut for the starting line-up.
vs
Nyayo Stadium
Score
Sudan
16 years, 7 months, 22 days
Summary
Home games
Starts 22
Subs 0
Total 22
Away games
19
0
19
Neutral ground games
18
1
18
Total Total 1
Venue
on a few drills and he was there telling me to keep training regardless of my age. I was very young but kept telling me to work hard my time would come. And it did come against Tanzania,’’ recalls Ochieng who terms the 5-1 hiding from Morocco in the 2006 World Cup qualifiers as his biggest low while on national duty. Coached by Twahir Muhiddin at the time, Kenya would however manage a decent 0-0 in the reverse fixture in Nairobi.
It was however Reinhardt Fabisch who gave him his first senior bow when he came on against Tanzania still at 16 in 1998. His special relationship with coaches had extended to the national team and with a foreign coach. Fabisch he adds, would stay behind when he took his extra goalkeeping exercise and urge him on.
‘’That was a nightmare. No one wants to concede five goals in one match and I did just that. There were other tough matches later on but we tried and corrected a few things. I remember standing up to such teams like Nigeria and Cameroun later on after that Morocco nightmare,’’ he adds.
‘’I believe he liked me. After normal training I would stay behind to add
The Tusker skipper would however pick himself up and years later help
60 the team to the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup in 2013 when after an unblemished group stage and semi-final journey, kept a clean sheet against Sudan in the final as Kenya triumphed 2-0. He recalls a good blend of youth and experience in that Adele Amrouche squad, a coach he also terms as key to his development as a player. ‘’Adel was another great coach in my career. He followed from where the likes of Jacob Ghost Mulee, Francis Kimanzi, Robert Matano left. I always maintained a good relationship with everyone in authority and was willing to learn. When asked my secret to lasting long, that comes first. The blend in the national team that year was the first time I knew how much I inspired other players. There were young ones just starting and they looked up to me for inspiration. That was a great feeling,’’ says Duncan.
soka.co.ke 57
LEGEND OF THE GAME
DUNCAN OCHIENG
Teams played against Teams Sudan U21
Games 1
Uganda U23
1
Tanzania U23 Iran
1
Cameroon
1 1
Rwanda
3
Nigeria Egypt
3
Bahrain
1 1
UAE
1
Botswana
1
Morocco
1
Uganda
8
Malawi
4
Burundi
4
Zambia
2
Zanzibar
3
South Sudan
2
Tanzania
3
Sudan
4
Burkina Faso
2
Guinea
1
Djibouti
1
Somalia
1
Eritrea
2
Namibia
1
Ethiopia
4
Lesotho
1
Total
60
He trains hard and rests enough. Motivates himself and has selfconfidence. If you keep your discipline line straight, he insists, nothing can stop you. Natasha can’t agree more. 58 soka.co.ke
Tusker keeper Duncan Ochieng in a past match. He has been around for long and doesn’t seem to be in a rush to leave
‘’His organization amazes me. Even in the way he plans for his diet before any match. One consistent thing I have noted is how he relates
told me he had never seen such resolve in a player, his determination got him back playing after three months,’’ reflects Mrs. Ochieng.
Duncan won the won the Kenya Power Charity Cup twice during his two and a half year stay at Sofapaka and the domestic cup. Joining a team of Sofa’s calibre at the time was a no brainer he says. with his coaches, both the head and the goalkeeping coaches. All the way from Mathare to Tusker to the national team, I have noted mutual respect between them. He loves his sport, and when he broke his humerus in 2014, that was the toughest period of his career. I could see how deeply he wanted to get back playing because that is all he lived for. Dr Wycliffe Makanga (Tusker) once
It’s a period he does not want to recall. This time when he saw what he had struggled to build from a tender age only threaten to come to an abrupt end. An awkward landing after a collision between him and former AFC Leopards captain Martin Imbalambala almost tore his right arm out. A disciplined attitude from the start, Ochieng took it slowly and would recover well to finally be fit and play again.
Duncan won the Kenya Power Charity Cup twice during his two and a half year stay at Sofapaka and the domestic cup. Joining a team of Sofa’s calibre at the time was a no brainer he says. ‘’Coach Kimanzi was at Sofapaka and had coached me at Mathare for quite some time. He was just back from his KNVB coaching courses and quickly roped me in. Sofa was the team then. Titus Mulama was there, Humphrey Mieno, Osborne Monday- basically the big names at the time. It was an easy decision and even though I would leave after the injury, it was Kim calling once again,’’ Duncan laughs at his special relationship with Kimanzi. So he went back to Tusker where Kimanzi was and has won the domestic cup again and been crowned champions of the Kenyan Premier League. Individual awards include Goalkeeper of the Year with Mathare, Sofapaka and Tusker – three of the four clubs he has turned out for in the top flight. This interview with Duncan takes place in his home in South B, wife Anastasia and daughter Shaniz close by. Of the many things that have helped him stay at the top, Ochieng being a good listener tops her list. ‘’He is a good listener. You look at him in a match and see constant communication with his defense. Many things have kept him up there and that is one of them,’’ she concludes. 21 is a milestone; very few last that long a in a league of KPL’s calibre. But Duncan has, and says he is still around. ‘’I will play while I still can. There is no stopping for me as long as the body agrees. All this is God’s plan,’’ he concludes. Follow Fabian Odhiambo on Twitter: @Fabian_Odhiambo -Duncan Ochieng issues instructions to his defenders ahead of a free kick
soka.co.ke 59
KENYAN FOOTBALL
PEOPLE WHO MADE AN IMPACT
5
The Decade That Was;
Names THAT MADE AN IMPACT IN THE LAST 10 YEARS By Fabian Odhiambo
In the past decade, Kenya has enjoyed good tidings in the football arena but has also been forced to deal with some bitter picks. From youth to women football, there are faces whose presence has been impactful in a decade that has seen a Kenya national team feature in continental finals as well as Kenyan players grace some of the most followed leagues in the world. 60 soka.co.ke
soka.co.ke 61
KENYAN FOOTBALL
PEOPLE WHO MADE AN IMPACT
Rachier Ambrose
S
igns had been there that Gor Mahia would soon win what at the time was a very elusive Kenyan Premier League title- for them at least. Tusker after all, had bagged it with relative ease in 2011 and 2012 but the latter had all the indications that the K’Ogalo outfit had to be taken seriously when the 2013 season commenced. The title did come, after 18 years of waiting- Gor Mahia were back on the continental scene when under the stewardship of Ambrose Rachier, bagged their 13 league title. But that is not why Rachier makes the cut for personalities that impacted the game over the last decade. He is here for what he would do after that; Currently serving his fourth term as the Gor Mahia chairman, Ambrose has in the past six years steered the club to four league titles- including three back to back between 2013 and 2015. The club itself, now accustomed to the kind of dominance they offer local opponents, have set eyes on the continental scene despite the perennial underachievement synonymous with Kenyan clubs at that stage. Narrowly eliminated by giants Esperance de Tunis in 2018, Gor Mahia got to play in the second tier CAF Confederations Cup in CAF’s new format and saw off competition from 2017 finalists Supersport United to enter into the Confederations Cup group stages. After each of the four championships won under Mr. Rachier, Gor lost key players as expected. The 2013 and
62 soka.co.ke
2014 triumphs saw David Owino and Anthony Akumu depart the club for greener pastures and have each excelled at their current stations. The Kenyan duo of Akumu and Owino have in fact played in the semi-final of CAF Champions League with Zambian giants Zesco United- a firm indication of their strong foundation laid at Gor. Marksman Dan Sserunkuma and his countryman and midfield enforcer Geoffrey Baba Kizito also left but the names that would replace them at the Green Army would equally excel at the club and leave for better deals elsewhere. The most notable of ones
of the ‘post-early success’ at the club will be Michael Olunga- a youngster at the time roped in from Liberty Sports and currently plays in the Spanish La Liga. Eric Marcelo Ouma- a debutant in the league in 2016 and fresh from high school bagged the new player of the year award and off he went to Europe. Before him, Olunga had been named the toast of the 2015 season after leading Gor to the title unbeaten.
to his peers of course. Money in the game may have been a factor towards latter league titles but it just was not there when his team went unblemished through 2015. 2014 too was a season of the paybill- when fans kept the team afloat and the results streamed. Key to note here is that Gor still had a number of foreign imports whose pay checks were not kid’s play if you have no specific source of revenue stream.
Despite unsuccessfully running for the Football Kenya Federation presidency in 2015, one cannot simply take away what Mr. Rachier has achieved at the club- relative
Ambrose Rachier, for steering a once sleeping giant back to glory, already has his name written in this decade as one of its colossuses in developing the game.
Habil Nanjero - Former Harambee Starlets Coach
H
abil currently coaches Kenya Women Premier League side Makolanders FC and is chairman and founder. He has had an impact in women’s football in the last decade since he runs the second oldest women’s football club after Mathare United. Initially known as Eastlanders, Mako was formed in the early 90s. Coach Habil is here not only because of Mako but also because of what he did with the women’s national team
Harambee Starlets at a time when women football was on its deathbed. He registered a series of wins during his tenure as the Harambee Starlets coach with the likes of Doreen Nabwire, Martha Karimi, Florence Adhiambo, Rosemary Kadondi, Jackline Juma and Veronica Achieng all of whom play important roles in the growth of the women’s game presently. He not only built their capacities as players, but also encouraged them to take up coaching and management positions at a very tender age. A decade later, half of his players are managing football in the country, with Florence Adhiambo – his wife – having made an impact with both the Under 17 and under 20 national teams that almost qualified for the World Cup in 2011 before losing in the last round against Nigeria and Tunisia respectively. He still holds the belief that Harambee Starlets can get to the World Cup before their male counterparts if FKF can lay proper structures and put in place proper training for the women. He was the Harambee Starlets coach way back in 1997 when Kenya edged past South Africa after beating them 2-1 at the Nyayo Stadium, and he knows too well the potential that the
ladies have. Habil also coached the senior national team Harambee Starlets assisted by the current Mombasa Olympic coach Joseph Oyoo in the year 2006 where Kenya registered huge victories, including a 7-0 win over Djibouti. He is currently a football instructor and has been able to run Makolanders single-handedly, with the lack of sponsorship that has seen most teams fold. The likes of KeMU Queens have had to pull out of the league but Makolanders has been the formidable rock that stood the test of time. He is currently running a program in Makadara aimed at bringing back the former female footballers to take part actively in football activities. Nanjero is also the brain behind Sports Connect Academy in Ruaraka, which houses both under 16 and Under 20 boys and girls, with their training base at the Calvary Buruburu Grounds. His vision is to see Makolanders soar higher and even win the 2018 Women’s Premier League title. With the financial constraints at his team, Habil relies on well-wishers to help facilitate the team’s transport and accommodation to their league matches and hopes that better times will come. soka.co.ke 63
KENYAN FOOTBALL
PEOPLE WHO MADE AN IMPACT
Adagala Moses
I
t’s not too long ago that Muhoroni Youth bagged their first top level title after seeing off Gor Mahia 1-0 to win the 2016 Kenyan Premier League (KPL) Top 8 Cup. A lone Rono Kennedy goal set the team coached by Tom Juma on its way to denying Gor what would have been their consolation that season. Tusker had already snatched both the domestic cup and the league titles. To see the side in its current dire straits breaks one too many hearts. There is a man at the center of it all though; anything good you can find about Muho, you will find him in it. Anything bad you can find in Muho, you will find him at the center. Moses Adagala is here for both - bringing an unknown club to the fore- then just as quickly as he had sprung up, aiding its demise. There is a thin line of judgement here however. It depends on how you want to look at it really. The Muhoroni Youth founder/owner/ chairman currently honors court dates in the hope of finding reprieve having seen his side relegated from the top flight KPL at the end of the 2017 season. His team, he insists,
64 soka.co.ke
was unfairly treated in the season and as such, didn’t play too well. As such, he will not participate in the second tier National Super League (NSL). A quick dash back to the beginning of the 2017 season and you will find both Muhoroni Youth and Sofapaka Football Clubs up in arms against what they termed unfair dismissal from the top flight. You see, neither of them had finished in the bottom two but Club Licensing – that naughty little headache that made club chairmen run up and down like scared rabbits came to haunt the two clubs. Adagala, teaming up with Sofapaka boss Elly Kalekwa, had their case prevail in court and were readmitted into the top flight.
flight but recorded an impressive rise through the 2013, 2014 and 2015 seasons. Never to shy away from controversies though, Mr. Adagala kept the side running. It is still not clear what Muhoroni Youth’s fate is, now that the side still trains and its chairman believes they will be readmitted to the league when it officially abides by the CAF calendar in September.
Unlike Mr. Kalekwa who had fortune smile his way soon after in the way of sponsorship, Mr. Adagala had to make do with a team that had carried its pre-season preparations without knowing which league they were supposed to play in. They finished at the foot of the log in the 2017 season.
Muhoroni is hostile, people say. They should add too that this is the place that Daniel Waweru, Ezekiel Otuoma, Enosh Ochieng, Farouk Shikhalo, Wellington Ochieng, Abdallah Hamisi and Bonventure Khasabuli made their names. It’s a thin line that separates his admirers and those who loathe him, and his attempt to run for a political seat in 2017 should be a firm reminder to him that not everyone loves him.
Muhoroni barely survived the drop in their first year (2012) in the top
For all his controversies, including a late night road chase of his players when they claimed he had called villagers to beat them, Adagala’s influence in local football especially in the second half of the decade cannot be ignored.
Wanyama Victor Victor Wanyama is here for the Dream. How else would you describe his influence in the Kenyan game? Ten years ago, the lad at JMJ Academy in Nairobi would feature for Premier League sides Nairobi City Stars and AFC Leopards. The 2008 move to Helsinborg while still a teenager kicked-off what would be a remarkable European career but very few thought about this at the time. After all, how many Kenyans had been to Sweden and never progressed to the more fancied English, Italian or Spanish leagues? His brother, MacDonald Mariga has the highest club accolade ever won by a Kenyan, having been in Jose Mourinho’s 2010 Champions League winning Inter Milan team, but Wanyama, a holding midfielder himself, makes his elder brother pale in comparison. His soft spoken nature through his rise into the world’s most famous top flight league lays bare the blueprint for any aspiring teenager out there in the local scene. Big Vic quietly found his way through the Glasgow Celtic midfield in 2011 and the image of him rising over Jordi Alba in 2012 to power in a header in the Champions League against Barcelona remains a source of inspiration. He was at the biggest stage finally, and was beating the best. Celtic won 2-1 on the night. There was more to come for the Harambee Stars captain because he was about to do what no other Kenyan had done before – break into the English Premier League. His predecessor in the captaincy of the national team Harambee Stars, Dennis Oliech may pride himself in having attracted the admiration of Manchester United scouts at some point in his career but for Big Vic somehow, after it seemed impossible to find a place in the EPL, still broke that barrier. It took a while to sink
in, and even now, if you ask around, many recall it with awe. Wanyama is three years into the captaincy of the national team and currently plays for London club Tottenham Hostpur. Southampton Football Club was his breakthrough club in the EPL but his energetic midfield shows soon attracted top managers in the league. The move from Celtic to Southampton, though deemed the best thing ever for any professional Kenyan out there, actually deprived him of Champions League football. At Celtic he was assured of a league title at the end of the season and a chance to dance at the world’s biggest clubs’ stage. Patience it seems has paid off and with Tottenham he once again travels through Europe. The Dream, summed up in his gradual rise is expected to have a ripple effect and if Michael Olunga’s move to Spanish side Girona is anything to go by, then Big Vic has inspired. It was only the other day when the two first played together in the national team Harambee Stars with Vic in England and Olunga turning out locally for Gor Mahia. Wanyama’s presence in England radiates a certain light on other Kenyan youngsters currently trying out elsewhere in smaller European leagues. All of a sudden, the EPL is within reach if only one does an extra mile. It won’t be a surprise if names like Eric Ouma, Kenneth Muguna, Johanna Eric or Amos Nondi find themselves in the same league as Victor- These names though, were all in school when Wanyama scored that goal against Barcelona. soka.co.ke 65
KENYAN FOOTBALL
PEOPLE WHO MADE AN IMPACT
Logarusic Zdravko
W
ell, Frank Nuttall came and won the league title unbeaten. Another Brit Dylan Kerr won the same title with four matches to spare, but if credit has to go anywhere as regards foreign coaches in the local game, Croatian Zdravko Logarusic should take a huge chunk of it. This is the man who literally lifted Gor Mahia from the ruins and many of the club’s recent successes point back to his short tenure at the club that saw him bag two trophies under 14 months, unfortunately for him, the elusive
one being the most important one. Everyone remembers Loga going bonkers when Thika United silenced Gor Mahia at the Nairobi City Stadium in the final game of 2012. He had worked so hard to get here, but Thika wanted to hear none of that and a 1 – 1 draw at Gor Mahia’s fortress ensured the giants painfully miss the title. He would leave Gor a disgruntled man. A few years of underperforming had seen sleeping giants Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards get quite comfortable with each
other, after all ‘the other team wasn’t winning anything’. Tusker and Ulinzi Stars had taken this period to add to their trophy cabinet two or more titles but when Leopards went for Jan Koops, something was about to change. It however, wasn’t going to change at the Leopards den. Gor Mahia responded by roping in Loga who, finding the team in the bottom three- lifted the Green Army and in 14 months the club had two titles – the KPL Top 8 and the domestic cup. Frank Nuttall’s unbeaten 2015 season with Gor Mahia may have borrowed something from Loga’s 2012 squad that went a record 22 matches without a loss. Key to note with the Croat is that he joined Gor at a time when the club struggled financially and had to make do with the squad he found. All his achievements therefore, point to a meticulous organizer and a man manager. Average players thrived under his watch. His brief stint with AFC Leopards a few years later after an unsuccessful sojourn in Tanzania also is worth noting. Maybe it is just bad luck for the Croat because even at the den, his tenure was marked by dire financial challenges. At some point, after first team players had failed to show up for a league match against Sofapaka due to unpaid dues, Loga fielded a strangelooking AFC Leopards side with striker Karim Nduggwa in goal. What lay ahead of them was a thorough beating because there was no way this side, with just two players on the bench, was going to hold forte against a John Baraza led Sofapaka but Loga’s side went on to win 1-0, and after being reduced to ten men. The man was a meticulous organizer. Give it to him.
Follow Fabian Odhiambo on Twitter: @Fabian_Odhiambo
66 soka.co.ke
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soka.co.ke 67
LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL
Life
MAURICE SUNGUTI
AFTER
FOOTBALL Maurice Sunguti
In an era when Kenyan strikers rarely hit the net, former Harambee Stars top marksman Maurice Sunguti is working round the clock to ensure the country is not short of potent strikers in the coming years. By Zachary Oguda
A
directionless ball swirls out of the field of play but before it drops to the other side of the muddy pitch, its journey is brought to an abrupt end with some deft touch of former Kenyan international Maurice Sunguti; clearly, he has shed a few years but not the technique.
Unlike most of his peers, and former internationals, Sunguti prefers to stay off the limelight, largely also due to the fact former internationals don’t get much appreciation after hanging boots.
He’s spent the best part of the morning on the training pitch, delivering instructions to his young troops, this being part of the team’s preparations ahead of a trip to Barcelona slated for December 2018. “It (bringing the balls back into the field of play) is something I’m used to. They are still young boys and they do make a lot of mistakes but this is where I want to be at this time of my life,” Sunguti opens up on his adventure in Syokimau, on the outskirts of Nairobi.
“The problem of being in the limelight is everyone wants to paint you in a bad picture. You have seen the stories they have said about Oliech (Dennis) and other former heroes. I decided to go about my business silently and I’m not surprised that many people do not recognize me even when I join them in games. For a fact I’m known more in Uganda than here at home. The people of Uganda just like Europe recognize their heroes, no matter how much you hide. The federations too take good care of them and they have easy access to their former clubs. That lacks in Kenya,” Sunguti opines.
After hanging his boots in 2010, Sunguti who had terrorised defenders during his playing days, is doing all he can to hone the future footballers in the country; the former AFC Leopards striker being the brain behind the Syokimau Soccer Academy, home to players as young as seven all the way to 15 year olds.
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Born on 6th October 41 years ago, Sunguti
Fact File wasn’t meant to grace the football world. Born and raised in a staunch Roman Catholic family, the senior Sunguti had hoped that his son would serve on the pulpit. Against his wish, Sunguti was enrolled in a seminary school in 1992 – the Kiserian Junior Seminary – a move he says wasn’t his cup of tea and had to do everything to defy his parents’ wishes and he got just that when he moved to the famous Kakamega High School the next year in his bid to chase his footballing dream. “Imagine Maurice as a pastor,” he says with a big laugh. “Actually my parents had been singing this tune from when I was young. I think they did name me Maurice with some plan in mind. They were determined to give me to the church. Telling my parents that I didn’t want to be a priest and instead was angling at making a career out of football was not only a shocker for them but a little bit disrespectful. I had never defied their orders since I was born and it was a surprise when I told them that Kakamega High School had approached me and I was going to join them the next year,” Sunguti adds. Sunguti’s urge to join Kakamega High School was fuelled by Coach Chris Makokha, who at that time had just arrived from a coaching course in Brazil and had a unique football philosophy that attracted the best talents in the country. The fact that he was going to join some of the best talents in the country and given the kind of players the school had produced over the years, it was all too good to turn down. “Coach Makokha had a unique way of playing football and he had been following my progress from primary school but
joining Kiserian had disarrayed his plans because he wanted me to join his team immediately after finishing my primary school. When still in the seminary, I closely followed his team and after seeing the players that had joined him, there was no way I was going to stay on at Kiserian. “We had Mike Amwayi, Reginald Asibwa, Joseph Moreno Atitwa, Dennis Munyendo, Martin Musisi, Mike Kisaghi, Patrick Omar Bongo Shilasi, Eliud Omukuya, Mike Wambani (Computer), Simon Mulama, Japhary Oyando, Bonventure Maruti, Sebastian Owino, Mohammed Fwaya; these were names that dominated the local soccer scene then. Apart from the talent on show, competition in this team was at the top. You had to be at your best to make it to the first team, it wasn’t a ride in the park,” Sunguti says. “In fact in my last year at the school, I featured for the Ministry of Works (MOW) FC. Other students had
After hanging his boots in 2010, Sunguti who had terrorised defenders during his playing days, is doing all he can to hone the future footballers in the country
1993-95:
Kakamega High School
1995:
Ministry of Works (MOW) FC
1996:
Re Union
1997:
AFC Leopards SC
1998-2000:
Express FC (Uganda)
2001-2002:
SC Villa (Uganda)
2003- 2005:
Friska Viljor FC (Sweden)
2006-2007:
Nam Dinh FC (Vietnam)
2008-2009:
Yanga SC (Tanazania)
2010:
Friska Viljor FC
Individual Honours 1998
Uganda Premier League (UPL) Golden Boot winner
2003:
Top Scorer with 16 goals in the Swedish Division One
Division Two Winner 2006/07:
Nam Dinh FC top scorer with 13 goals
represented other clubs too; we were that good,” Sunguti adds. Following in tradition, it was only a matter of time before the son of the Luhya community joined the region’s most followed club; AFC Leopards SC. But that had to come two years later after a brief spell with ReUnion. As a Leopards player, one always looks up to the clash against their
Vietnamese Cup Winner
Harambee Stars: 1997-2004 Caps: 36 Goals: 17
arch rivals, Gor Mahia and Sunguti admits his first derby appearance against Gor in 1997 at the Nyayo National Stadium was a day that will
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LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL
MAURICE SUNGUTI
live in his memory forever. “Immediately after finishing school I joined Re-Union which at that time was taking the league by storm. I was this young striker who didn’t want anything but goals for my team. Very ruthless, determined and would do everything to ensure that I was on the scoresheet. I worked with some of the best players too at Re-Union and it made my work easier as a striker. Sadly, I only took a year with them before joining AFC Leopards; it was only a matter of time.” “By that time it was more like a norm for every talented Luhya player to join Leopards; it was a community club, just like Gor Mahia had Luo players and it was an interesting time for both teams in terms of bragging rights. I remember my first derby at the Nyayo Stadium in 1997. You would feel that this was not a normal game. In the changing room you would hear the stadium literally shake, the fans’ urge to just watch us take to the field of play was something out of this world.” “In the game, I scored the opening goal and we had a chance to collect the entire points but Bramwell Mwololo scored an equalizer late on for a share of spoils; it was hard for us to swallow after dominating the game but this is the type of game I enjoyed in my career,” Sunguti adds. It is while representing AFC Leopards that Sunguti received his first national team call up under the then head coach Reinhardt Fabisch. Sunguti made the cut in the final team to Ouagadougou and although he knew that he was the second choice striker, he saw it as a chance to introduce himself to the world if named in the team. The clash was against Burkina Faso in a World Cup qualifier at the The Stade du 4 Août on 16th August 1997 and as predicted, Sunguti started from the bench but was introduced in the 67th
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minute for Francis Were who had scored Stars’ second goal. “At that time we didn’t have the luxury of league matches being broadcasted in televisions and the only way one could sell himself was through the national team more so in the away matches so it was important that if a chance came by, you had to give a good show. “I remember well when I received my first call up; I was just 20, so you can imagine the pressure I had at that stage. I had prayed for this day and was determined to prove a point, and Fabisch gave me my debut in that game against Burkina Faso after we had taken a 2-0 lead. Were (Francis) had scored and it was now upon me
It is while representing AFC Leopards that Sunguti received his first national team call up under the then head coach Reinhardt Fabisch to prove to the coach that I was ready to fill in for the striker when needed. “My debut couldn’t have gotten better; I scored within three minutes, and added a second five minutes later, you can imagine the feeling,” Sunguti says with a smile. “We won the game 4-2 and not only did I feel I had done what was expected of me by the coach, I had announced myself to the world in a special way,” Sunguti opines. Despite the show, his ambition of going pro was nowhere in the proximity and the striker crossed to neighbouring Uganda, with Express FC acquiring his services in 1998 and he went on to spend three years with the team before crossing to arch rivals, SC Villa Jogoo. Sunguti describes it as a risky but a
stint he felt was justified. “I went to Uganda in 1998 at a time Express was dominating the Uganda soccer scene. Being a foreigner, they catered for everything I needed, and at that time I felt they treated us better. When I tell people that I’m more recognized in Uganda than Kenya they think it’s a joke. Express had won the UPL (Uganda Premier League) in 1993, 1995 and 1996 and had lost the title in 97 so in their bid to reclaim the title they felt I could help and I obliged. I won the golden boot in my debut season but lost the title to SC Villa at a time I felt there was a power shift; they were just good during my time in Uganda and that’s why I decided to join them in 2001. “My dream of winning the UPL was realized with Villa as we won two consecutive titles in my two years with them. Crossing to join them
Maurice Sunguti talks to a few of the players he nurtures in Syokimau
elicited mixed reactions from the media and fans and I had seen the same for the few players who had dared to cross between AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia back at home so it was something I had prepared for mentally,” Sunguti opines. European Adventure Despite his prowess in front of goal everywhere he went, Sunguti had to wait until 2003 to play professional football. Sweden was to be his destination with Friska Viljor FC handing him a three –year contract. The club formed in February 1994 had been causing shockwaves in the Swedish football scene and as from 1995 to 1998 they had progressed through the league system from Division 6 to Division 2. In his debut season with the club, Sunguti was the club’s top scorer with 16 goals, and his performance ensured the club got prompted to the Superettan (Sweden First Division). Unfortunately, the team failed to cope and was relegated after just one season. “Just like any other player, I went to work with a dream that one day I was to go pro. Friska offered me this
chance and I can attribute this to my good performances with the national team. Everything there was different, from the weather, the food and the culture but as someone who had longed for this chance I said to myself that it was the only opportunity to give my best. I emerged the club top scorer in my debut season with them to help them get promoted to the Superettan (that’s like the National Super League here in Kenya) and I was relieved, knowing I did my best in helping the team. “The Superettan is no child’s play and the levels are high. We tried to give our best but were unlucky to go down the following year. I was devastated because none of the teams I was in had been relegated my entire life. We tried to give it a go for another year in 2005 but we fell short. After two years with them, I made the switch to Vietnam,” Sunguti adds. The move to Vietnam was about playing in the top flight league. When Nam Dinh FC showed interest in his services, he couldn’t turn it down as it was another opportunity to prove his worth in a top division league. Sunguti says despite the culture
shock and everything, he adapted so quickly in Vietnam compared to Sweden and had all things set to give his best. “I settled quickly in Vietnam and apart from their food, everything was perfect for me. It was another opportunity to test another league this time in a top flight and to embrace a new culture. All did not just work as I had expected and we were to finish ninth on the log. That wasn’t good enough. I always competed to be the best but what I realized overseas is that you can’t judge a team going by their concluded campaign. There is a lot of work done by all the teams to ensure they compete with the rest and this at times brings a lot of changes so every team has to play according to what the season throws to them. “My debut season with Nam wasn’t the best but the following season I would go on to help them lift the Vietnamese Cup, a feat that saw the team qualify for the 2008 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League. Sadly, I wasn’t available then to represent them in the competition I had longed to feature,” Sunguti says.
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LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL
MAURICE SUNGUTI
After stints in Sweden and Vietnam, Sunguti became home sick and Tanzanian heavyweights Yanga were ready waiting in the flanks, offering him a two year contract before his former employers Friska Viljor FC reached out for him to return and help in the promotion push. “I felt like coming close home and Yanga offered an opportunity. It was a different league too with different demands but being closer to my people was one thing that guided my decision to join them,” he adds. Viljor hadn’t made much progress after Sunguti’s departure and the Swedish side had to seek his charm. He had fond memories of the team and a decision to rejoin the team was a no brainer. “All this time after leaving Sweden, Friska had been in contact and when they felt they were not making much progress, they convinced me to go back for a second time in 2010. They
72 soka.co.ke
were willing to incorporate me into their management plan and due to the fact that my best years were slowly getting behind me, it was a project that I had to take. I can’t say it was the best of times for the club and I called it a day in football the same year and returned home,” Sunguti says. Sunguti had unfortunately played his last for the national team in the disastrous campaign in the 2004 African Cup of Nations, featuring in the last group game against Burkina Faso, a team he had earned his debut against. The former striker who now holds a CAF C coaching badge and currently nurtures young talents in Syokimau hopes that the badges he has acquired will enable him churn out future Kenyan internationals and hopes the government can come on board to support such initiatives in sports. Sunguti had long planned for life
after football but is still working to boost his credentials, though his cry, like most in the football industry in Kenya today, is that of poor infrastructure as a big hindrance to the development of players, especially at the early stages. “I am lucky enough that I got most of my badges during my playing days. It is mostly encouraged in European leagues for players who would like to go into coaching after hanging boots and today I look back to it as a bold decision. I acquired my instructor badge while playing in Sweden; I have a Basic Badge from KNVB and a CAF C badge and currently I am in the process of receiving my CAF B. “The challenge we have here at Syokimau is the lack of a proper training ground; we have to divide these children into groups for them to share the limited facilities. The government should rein on developers who grab pieces set aside for player development because when we lack such facilities it
becomes hard to convince parents that their children can eke a living out of football someday. “I am lucky to have supportive parents as they cater for everything in this academy. We have no sponsors and this is work solely done by the parents whose kids I coach here. It is hard but I enjoy the challenge knowing that one day these children will be household names. “Our broad ambition is to register this club to a league in the coming years and hopefully see it go all the way to the KPL. “Since establishment in 2010, we have made trips to Arusha in neighbouring Tanzania and Uganda and this December we will be going to Barcelona for some tournament we have been invited to,” Sunguti adds. Apart from coaching the youngsters and generally engaging in football activities, Sunguti is a family man. Spending time with his two children ranks as his topmost role but he also has time for his former employers and mates back in Uganda, where he calls his second home and farms ginger there, with his wife managing the project.
Follow Zachary Oguda on Twitter: @zaxoguda
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FLASHBACK
SHORTEST SERVING COACHES
Short
Stint Kenyan
coaches
from
the
60s
The Kenya national team head coach’s job has never been a bed of roses, as many of the men who have handled the post would confirm. There are some who have lasted in the job but quite a good number have failed to last more than two matches in charge. By Patrick Korir
O
ver the years Kenya has deployed coaches – both local and foreign, to lead the nation on specified assignments. While some were handed space and opportunity to perform, others only got the latter and not the former, and were forced to leave due to results, or for other reasons. In Kenya’s history, no coach has sat at the helm of the national team longer that Marshall Mulwa who was appointed in the second quarter of 1980 all through to the end of 1985 leading Kenya in 69 straight senior games.
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Jacob Ghost Mulee and Mohammed Kheri have led the nation in 67 and 63 games, respectively, but over periodic and different stints. While Mulwa will boast of having the longest unbroken stretch, and Mulee and Kheri with over 60 plus matches, many others had stints as short as a game, some not more than two. In years gone by managerial duties were pegged on assignments at hand and that would end soon after. As an example, in the 60’s, the Football Association (FA) of Kenya
did not per se have a full time coach for the national team till the arrival of former Tottenham Hotspur striker Jackie Gibbons as Kenya’s full time coach from late August 1966 who stayed on till October of 1967. In that era, and finances aside, the FA of Kenya then had taken up a bigger chunk of the role of the coach – like scouting and selection of players, unlike what happens in the present day. Ahead of any competition, a specific selection committee would sample out the players for the national team having in mind regional balancing.
One of the best platforms for selection was during a regional competition known as the Kenyatta Cup where each part of the country would provide a team to contest the trophy. While the best side would lift the Cup, the best players would be shortlisted for national team duty and the selection committee would sieve down to the finest for the national team looking at positions. Once done, the FA of Kenya would then look around for a coach to take charge of the team as trainer and the usual accompaniment of an assistant and manager. In 1960 William Yeda was named the coach with 1953 Gossage Cup winning Captain Longinus Owiye as manager as the team participated in the Gossage Cup held in Uganda. As Kenya went into its first Nations Cup qualifiers ever – in August 1961, the FA of Kenya had roped in Rift Valley’s Sports Officer Ray Batchelor as Coach. Elijah Lidonde, who was still active as a player was appointed as the assistant. Save for July of 1962 when he took a break – for holidays, Batchelor remained in charge till October of 1963. While he was resting and recuperating in mid 1962, the country’s Sports Officer Archie Evans held forte. Later in October of 1963 Lidonde was the coach as Kenya entered its first ever Olympic qualifiers – against Ethiopia. In December he was still the man in charge and is credited with lifting the four-nation Uhuru Cup after seeing off Scotland 3-2 in the finals. Yeda was back in September 1964 for the Gossage Cup, the Independence Cup in Zambia and the Uhuru Cup. Lidonde was back in 1965 till April for the 1966 AFCON qualifiers and in September, Gossage winning skipper
from 1958 – 1961 Peter Oronge was put in charge for a three game Rothman’s Cup Trophy in Zambia. Lidonde was back in charge soon after the trip to Zambia to lead the team to the 1965 Gossage Cup in Uganda. In December 65, Batchelor was called in to fill up for a no show Peter Oronge ahead of two games against Ghana at Jamhuri Park. He got another letter in April to handle the Kenyan side in a Charity Cup tie against Uganda on 3 April. When he confirmed unavailability – as he opted to handle the U20 side in a friendly against Uganda, Lidonde was called in a quick fill the day before the Uganda game and he only had
Cup of Nations Qualifiers. The team bowed out 2-1 on aggregate. The year ended with Lidonde in charge of the three games during the 1969 East Africa Challenge Cup and for 1970 Oronge was back for four games in the same competition. There was relative stability then on with a few coaches taking charge of games across to 1979. West German Eckhard Krautzn, Jonathan Niva, Briton Ray Wood and Gregory Pelakow from Poland. But somewhere in between a few coaches – Francis Atema, Bernard Zgoll, Joe Kadenge, Stephen Yongo and James Sianga stepped up for very temporary assignments necessitated by unavoidable scenarios.
In Kenya’s history, no coach has sat at the helm of the national team longer that Marshall Mulwa who was appointed in the second quarter of1980 all through to the end of 1985 one training session with the side. Towards the end of 1967, David Muraya – the Kenya Athletics Association (KAA) Coach & Kenya Sports Officer – and a former Rift Valley Sports Officer came on board for two friendly games away to Ethiopia at the Haile Selassie and Asmara Stadia – the latter at the start of 1968. Both ended in identical 2-0 losses. Lidonde and Oronge shared coaching duties and in 1968. In January of 1969 another Administrator Charles Mukora came on board for two Friendship Cup ties in Ethiopia against Tanzania and Sudan. Later in February of the same year Sports Officer at the University College John Ndungu who was Mukora’s assistant in January was the man in charge as Kenya faced Tanzania in two legged 1970 Africa
In April 1973, the contract of high achieving Kenya national team German Coach Eckhard Krautzun who had taken over from November of 1970 expired. In late May to early June, there were no national team engagements till mid-August where Kenya had been paired with Zambia in the 1974 World Cup qualifiers. To prepare the team, the Football Association (FA) of Kenya, whose president then was former referee Williams Ngaah, appointed former Ugandan star Francis ‘Jogoo’ Atema (RIP) to prepare the team for the home and away ties. Kenya lost out 4-2 on aggregate bringing Atema’s assignments to an end. In late October – December of 1974 West German Bernard Zgoll was tasked with the role of leading Kenya
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FLASHBACK
SHORTEST SERVING COACHES
in two games at the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup in Zanzibar against Tanzania (0-0) and Zambia (3-2 loss) and once against Seychelles (3-2 loss) at the City Stadium.
Morocco were not encouraging; they failed to score a goal in three games going down 3-0 to both Nigeria and Egypt and a 0-0 draw with Cameroon in the final Group ‘B’ game.
Then in April of 1974 Kadenge was in the bracket for two brief 1976 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers first round games against Sudan which ended in 1-0 and 2-1 losses.
For the next six months, Kenya went into international hibernation, literally, kicking no ball.
In June of 1979 former player Stephen Yongo, capped 20-times for Kenya got a chance to lead Kenya in the 1980 African Cup of Nations qualifiers. He started off well with a 3-1 beating of fancied Egypt at City Stadium in what was his only national team game.
Weeks to the President’s ten year anniversary – on 8 October, a team of 30 players was named to start training at the Kenya Science Teachers College by team manager Joe Kadenge to shape up for two ties against the Flames of Malawi who had been invited to grace
Towards the end of 1967, David Muraya – the Kenya Athletics Association (KAA) Coach & Kenya Sports Officer – and a former Rift Valley Sports Officer came on board for two friendly games
The reverse game that ended 3-0 in favor of the Pharaohs was handled by James Sianga. He coached Kenya in three other games thereafter – two against Malawi in in Lilongwe during 15th Anniversary games and once more against Zaire in a friendly game. Sianga had to wait over a decade to become a contrated coach when he was hired in the year 2000 to guide Kenya to the 2002 African Cup of Nations qualifiers. The 80s was calm with national assignments handled by Mulwa (1980-1985), Chris Makokha (1986, late 1987 and early 1988), Reinhardt Fabish (1987) and Mohammed Kheri (1988 and 1989). However, just before Kheri took charge as from 27 October 1988, there was a vacuum to be filled; a man in charge of two games against Malawi in the President’s Cup. In March, Kenya had returned home from their second appearance at the African Cup of Nations held in Morocco, their first since 1972. Upon return, Coach Chris Makokha called it a day as the results from John Bobby Ogolla is one of the coaches who had very short stints at Harambee Stars
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the festivities. With days approaching fast, and the Federation still without a coach, it was time for a quick fix. After lengthy discussions, Kenya Breweries seconded 47-year old Englishman Tony Barnfield for the task ahead. The pact was simple; no financial implications on the Federation’s side except for stipends as Breweries would continue to foot his monthly obligation. The Brewers had a similar arrangement in the mid-70s when they seconded Englishman Ray Wood to handle the national side from July 1975 soon after Joe Kadenge’s short stint as Coach ended in April. Wood stretched his services all the way to February 1976 before recoiling back to club duty. Barnfield, a former Coach of Jordan, had proved his acumen seven months after signing a two year deal with the Brewers, as he won the CECAFA Club Championship held in Khartoum, Sudan in January of 1988. Barnfield’s assignments ended with a 2-0 loss and 1-0 win over Malawi. In early 1990 Zgoll was back for a final three games with the national team for Kings Cup assignments against Thailand, Indonesia and Shanghai at the National Stadium in Bangkok. He soon quit in a huff and with under a month to the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations, Kheri was called in to lead the nation in three group games in Algeria.
Summary of Short stint coaches from 1960 Names
Names
Games
Year
Archie Evans
Britain
2
1962
David Muraya
Kenya
2
1967, 68
Charles Mukora
Kenya
2
1969
John Ndungu
Kenya
2
1969
Bernard Zgoll
Germany
3
1974
Francis Atema
Uganda
2
1974
Joe Kadenge
Kenya
2
1975
Stephen Yongo
Kenya
1
1979
Tony Barnfield
Britain
2
1988
Bernard Zgoll
Germany
3
1990
Mickey Weche
Kenya
1
2003
Bernard Lama
France
2
2006
Tom Olaba
Kenya
2
2006
John Bobby Ogola
Kenya
1
2009
Henri Michel
France
2
2012
Amars Niyingambo
Burundi
2
2015
Austrian Gerry Saurer (1990 – 1992), Kheri (1992-1995), Vojoslav Gordasevic (1996), Fabish (19961997), Abdul Majid (1998), Christian Chukwu (1999-2000), Kheri & Sianga (2000), Fabisch (2001-2002), Jacob
miss the tournament. In 2003 Kenya U23 coach Mickey Weche sampled his only national team duty due to the fact that the head coach, Mulee had jetted out to
The 80s was calm with national assignments handled by Mulwa (1980-1985), Chris Makokha (1986, late 1987 and early 1988), Reinhardt Fabish (1987) and Mohammed Kheri (1988 and 1989). Mulee (2002-2004, 2007), Kheri (2005), Antoine Hey (2009) would follow with stints at the team. It is worth noting that in 1994 Sianga stood in for Kheri to handle Kenya during CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup held in the country after the latter had been promoted at Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and was forced to
Cairo for a CAF coaching course. This was for a friendly game against Uganda at Kasarani that ended in a 2-2 draw. It has to be stated that it is in this game that McDonald Mariga earned his national team debut. In August 2006, 1998 World Cup winning keeper Bernard Lama landed
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FLASHBACK
SHORTEST SERVING COACHES
in Kenya to take charge of the 2008 African Cup of Nations campaign. It started on a low as Kenya went down 2-1 to an unrated Eritrea in a game that saw keeper Arnold Origi miscue a back pass to his own net and Dennis Oliech miss a penalty. To prepare for that game Lama had taken a new look Stars team to Addis Ababa for two friendly games against the host nation that both ended in identical 1-0 losses. Following a tiff with the then Federation he was gone from Kenya with the three defeats. The following month Tom Olaba replaced him for the second round game in the same qualifiers away to Angola. It ended in a 3-1 defeat and soon he was off from the national team. Before the Angola game Olaba had tried out his new troops with an away friendly in Tanzania that ended in a 1-0 defeat. He is remembered for handing the likes of Patrick Osiako, Lloyd Wahome, Francis Ochieng and Elvis Ayany, to name but a few, their first national team caps. Towards the close of January 2009, former rock defender John Bobby Ogola was on board for just one friendly game, away to Egypt that ended in a 1-0 defeat. Suffice to say Bobby had been closer to the top back in 1994 when he handled Kenya ‘B’ as Kenya hosted the 1994 CECAFA Challenge Cup. Bobby filled a space after Francis Kimanzi – fresh from landing silver for Kenya at the CECAFA Challenge Cup in Uganda, was shown the door by the Federation. Before Bobby could enjoy his time with the national team the arrival of German Antoine Hey was announced, to lead the second phase of the campaign to the 2010 African Cup of
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Nations and World Cup. That year ended with Twahir Muhiddin on board till end of 2010. Mulee, Zedekiah Otieno, Kimanzi, James Nandwa, Belgian Adel Amrouche, Scotsman Bobby Williamson Stanley Okumbi and Belgian Paul Put would coach Kenya all through to the end of 2017. But back in 2012, the Federation called in highly profiled Frenchman Henri Michel for coaching duties but he would only last two games that ended in a 2-1 defeat to South Africa at Nyayo Stadium and 1-0 loss away to Tanzania. Nandwa, from whom he took over, regained his caretaker tag once again after his exit. In 2014, Burundian Amars Niyingambo assumed temporary charge of Kenya upon the suspension of Amrouche who was slapped with a provisional two game ban – that later was extended to a one year CAF ban for alleged spitting on a match official during a heated 2015 African Cup of Nations qualifier against Comoros in June of that year at Mitsamiouli International Stadium. The ban was later reduced to six games. As Amrouche served the initial provisional two game ban Niyingambo who was one of his assistants was listed as Kenya national team coach for the next set of two legged games against Lesotho. The Southerners won the affair with a 1-0 aggregate victory to advance to the group stages of the same qualifiers. That led to Amrouche’s exit as Kenyan coach.
Follow Patrick Korir on Twitter: @tipkorir
Frenchman Henri Michel had a two game stint at Harambee Stars
soka.co.ke 79
BLAST FROM THE PAST
JAMHURI CUP FIASCO
Jamhuri
Cup fiasco
To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Jamhuri Day in 1973, Kenya invited Zambia and Uganda for a triangular soccer tourney. By Patrick Korir
I
n the first game played on 8 December, Uganda clawed back with a goal from Tim Ayieko to draw with Kenya 2-2 at the Nairobi City Stadium. Fine element Emma Kalanzi scored first for Uganda, for a 1-0 half time lead but Kisumu Hot Stars sharp shooter Laban Otieno, in only his debut for Kenya struck twice in the second half for a Kenya lead before Ayieko ensured shared spoils for Uganda. In the second game, Uganda surprised a star studded Zambia 2-0. Results from the final game between Kenya and Zambia on 12 December would then decide the winner of the Jamhuri Cup. Gor Mahia forward William Chege Ouma opened the scoring for Kenya in the 17th minute but at the half hour mark Chitalu had cancelled it out for Zambia. Ouma in his fine element of the day grabbed two more goals in the
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second half for a hat trick that saw Kenya beat Zambia 3-1. Permutation After that result it was not too clear
who the winner of the Cup was as Uganda and Kenya tied on points. Other parameters therefore had to be employed to determine the winner.
But in self calculation, Uganda declared themselves winners pointing out they had a better goal average than Kenya; with four goals scored and two conceded, their goal average was 2. Kenya’s was less, as having scored five times and conceded three, they had a goal average of 1.67.
“In the event of equality on points between two teams at the end of group matches, the classification shall be established according to the best goal difference. If the goal difference is indecisive, the team which has scored the greater number of goals are declared winners”
With that simple permutation, Uganda went into a luncheon at a posh hotel the next day hosted by the Minister of Cooperative and Social Services Masinde Muliro as the presumptive Jamhuri Cup Champions.
However, all the teams had not been informed of the rule beforehand, a matter that infuriated Uganda even further – they took it personal and accused Ngaah of robbing them the trophy.
But a shocker awaited them at the venue; Kenya were named Champions!
“As long as Williams Ngaah is chairman of both the FA of Kenya and the East African Football Confederation we shall have no alternative but to sever football relations with Kenya” said Kezekiah Musisi, the Chair of Football Union of Football Associations (FUFA).
Sever ties Williams Ngaah, then the President of the Football Association (FA) explained the award to Kenya was after consultations with the African Football Confederation (AFC) Chair Y. Tassema of Ethiopia, who had incidentally stopped over in Kenya en route to Zaire. It was based on new AFC rule – article 15 that guided tournaments;
Nonetheless, Kenya remained Champions courtesy of the new rule having scored a goal more than Uganda who, as far as they were concerned, had been robbed in Jamhuri Cup fiasco.
Follow Patrick Korir on Twitter: @tipkorir
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SOKA CROSSWORD
AND PUZZLE
Game Yetu Crossword
Soka Crossword 10 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8 9 10
11
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15 13
15
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16
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22
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27
Down
2. __ Antonia FC is a pro. Soccer team
1. __ United is a South African FC
based in Texas (3)
coached by Fadlu Davids (10)
6. Painfully sensitive (4)
2. Time of year for e.g. football (6)
8. __ Mayuka was top scorer in Africa
3. Scored a goal (6)
Cup of Nations 2012 tourney (8)
19 20
U
24
Across
21
26
25
28
9. Act in opposition to (5)
5. Finishes (4)
Fulham and England U21s (9)
6. Hit hard (4)
16. The Int. governing body of 17. Nickname of club head coached
ACROSS: 3. Karuturi 8.Ongeri 9.Gor Mahia 10.Gareth Bale 14.Tobin 15.Best 17.Draining 19.Accra 21.Rivaldo 24.Abuse 26.Mita 28.Independiente 30.Renato Sanches DOWN: 1. George Bwana 2.Logarusic 4.Ali 5.Tao 6.Rome 7.Tripping 9.Gea 11.Bind 12.Liga 13.Robin 16.Rare 18.Real 20.Coaches 22.Dale 23.Side 25.Under 27.Lena 29.Nan
by Dunstan Nyaundo (6) 20. __ Ouma plays for Kolheti Poti as
Petro Atletico De Luanda, FC Baku, Al Merreikh SC, Hoang Anh Gia Lai, AFC Leopards, Azam FC, The Blues, Bidvest
Taunton for several years (5) the Ireland national football Team (5)
a left back (4) 22. Welsh pro. footballer who plays as winger for Real Madrid (6, 4) for Colorado Rapids (5)
Tusker FC, Lolwe FC,
14. __ Price was player-manager of 15. __ Football Association organized
18. Championship (5)
27. Shkelzen __ plays as midfielder Previous Pathfinder Solution
11. A contest (5) 12. Perspire (5)
football (4) Previous Soka Crossword Solutions
7. AFC Leopards coach also called Zapata (7)
Madrid (8)
31
30
who plays for IFK Mariehamn (4)
10. Ryan __ plays as a left back for 13.Current manager of Real
29
4. __ Ekhalie is a Kenyan footballer
16. Granted in football as a minor penalty (4, 4) 19. Unwell (3) 21. In an incompetent manner (7)
28. Seize, catch or stop (9)
23. Slept (6)
29. Aytek __ was the coach of Sydney
24. __ Silva plays as central defender for Paris Saint-Germain (6)
Olympic FC (4) 30. Spanish footballer who plays as a forward for Chelsea (5) 31. Bright with or warmed by
25. Former coach Pierre Barrieu treated his players with __ pellets (6) 26. Removes a player from a contest
sunlight (5)
due to a violation of rules (6) 27. To breathe laboriously (4)
P F: Best Goalkeepers E
D
A
R
A
N
N
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U
G
M
A
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M
K
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G
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N
E
S
A
A
A
R
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S
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S
S
R
A
D
I
N
A
B
O
N
A
H
A
N
N
J
R
A
D
O
F F
L
S
N
O
O
M
I
N
B
U
M
A
L
L
H
C
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U
L
U
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G
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PATH FINDER The path finder grid below contains a selection of the best goalkeepers of all time, starting with the highlighted ‘G’. The words form a continuous path, passing through each letter on the grid once. The path always moves horizontally or vertically, and never diagonally. There are 7 goalies to find in total. By Lenny Ruvaga ruvagalenny@hotmail.com
82 soka.co.ke
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