Poor Accommodation in Away Matches Harms Stars!

After a splendid 1-1 draw away in Brazzaville against Congo Brazaville, Harambbe Stars jetted back in the country, last night. Bobby Williamson has at least two months to prepare for the fall of Zambia’s Chipolopolo, on September 5, this year.we are joint top of Group E with Congo Brazaville, on  a single point but above Zambia and Guinnea Bissau, courtesy of the latter’s drub goaless draw in Lusaka. 

The team put on a brave show and Paul Were’s well taken goal inside the first 10 minutes capped an otherwise great evening away in Brazaville, when a new look Harambee Star’s, without Dennis Oliech and McDonald Mariga showed glimpses that indeed there is hope in the post Oliech-Mariga era. In Victor Mugubi, the team has the much needed international experience to lead them to Gabon 2017. The emergence of youngsters such as Michael Olunga is also timely. Barring any dramas that have time and again hampered our previous African Nations Cup qualification campaign, we should be in the Libreville party, next year, not just to make numbers but as serious competitors.

However, there has been a major let down from Football Kenya Federation, whenever Harambee Stars are faced with away matches. It happened last year before the famous 1-all draw that Harambee Stars pulled, away in Nigeria. Once again it happened last weekend in Brazzaville. It is all about the accommodation of our team whenever it travels for away matches. In Nigeria, last year, the team was booked by the Nigerian Football Association (NFA), in a sub-standard hotel and had to train in a horrible patched up field that bore makings of a dilapidated village football pitch. In Brazzaville, our hosts booked us in a hotel that was near a blaring night club and as expected; our team had to endure the horrible conditions preceding the match. To compound matters, they arrived on Friday, just a day before such an important game. Now, this is where I have a huge problem with Sam Nyamweya and his loyalists at FKF.

When will the federation take care of Harambee Stars whenever it goes out for continental duty across Africa? Why is it that Harambee Stars must spend nights in horrible hotels and pathetic environment that have been intentionally chosen for us by the hosts? Is it so hard for the federation to liaise with the Kenyan embassies in the concerned countries and ensure that the embassy gets a better place to accommodate the team? After all, it is not a must for the away team to spend nights in the hotels chosen for them by the host federations. Nigeria and Tunisia among other nations have in the past come for continental duty in Nairobi and flatly rejected the hotel that FKF chose for them, on grounds that they were not the best of environments in preparing for a match. Why is it that FKF cannot do that, at least when our hosts submit us to at best horrible accommodations? We all should remember that our hosts accommodate us in horrible environments in order to psychologically kill us and set the stage to losing the match!

It is not fair that we subject Congo Brazzaville to horrible accommodation when they come to Nairobi for the return match, No. but we should learn and make sure that in the next away matches against Zambia and Guinea Bissau, Harambee Stars are spared the pain of pathetic hotels. Football Kenya Federation should liaise with the Kenyan embassies in Lusaka and Bissau if the respective hosts choose to put us through the shameful accommodation that we got in Nigeria (2014) and Congo Brazzaville, last weekend. Poor accommodation is a common weapon of psychological defeat that host nations in Africa subject visiting teams to. Football Kenya Federation must make sure that it does not happen to our Stars unless; we want to lose away matches even before we kick the ball in these hostile environments!

In the race for Gabon 2017, there is barely room for errors as only 14 group winners and the two best runners-up will join the hosts for the African soccer extravaganza. Harambee Stars, if spared the pain of horrible accommodation in away matches has a realistic chance of qualifying as group winners. The worst should be as one of the two best placed runners-up.

It is possible if Football Kenya Federation ensures that Harambee Stars get comfortable accommodations in tranquil environments, just as Super Eagles and the Maghreb giants do when they come for duty in Nairobi. Not only in soccer but also in all aspects of life, psychological calm is key to winning any battle Harambee Stars need this!

Kenya Premier League, Our Pride despite the Problems!

The Kenya Premier League Limited (KPL) first leg is over and the team of choice, Gor Mahia aka K’Ogallo, are comfortably perched at the top, unbeaten in 15 matches and threatening to pull away from the rest. Hot in pursuit are their nemesis and a crisis-laden Ingw’e, Ulinzi Stars and Sofapaka. K’Ogallo, Ingw’e, Ushuru, Bandari and Nairobi City Stars all ended the final day of the first round on a high with narrow yet well-deserved victories. Among the notable teams to end it on a losing end are Tusker and Sofapaka.

After 15 matches, Gor are atop with 39 points, Sofapaka and Ulinzi Stars are on 27, Ingw’e on 25 while Western Stima and Ushuru close the top-five on 23 points. A whooping 264 goals have been scored, among them top-drawer strikes. Among them KCB’s Mungai Kiongera’s thunderbolt against Muhoroni Sugar at Kasarani and a final day scorcher against Ulinzi Stars at Afraha Stadium! But the biggest talking point on the final day was at Nyayo Stadium as AFC Leopards threatened to boycott their clash against Sofapaka. After nearly an hour of painful of anxiety, Ingw’e took to the pitch but not without drama and a poor face of shambles. A depleted Ingw’etook to the pitch without a goalkeeper and striker, Karim Ndungwa was the stand-in man between the sticks. On the bench, they only had three substitutes! However, Ingw’e held on to their claws and with about 20 minutes to go, substitute Mohammed Diallo’s right-wing cross was deflected for an own goal by Sofapaka’s Abdul Yorou! The drama was far from over however as, Diallo pulled an outrageous handball to deny Sofapaka the equalizer. He saw red but the resulting John Baraza penalty was well saved by striker-turned-keeper, Ndungwa, drawing wild celebrations from the Ingw’e faithful in the stands! Despite all the odds, a depleted 14-man squad for Ingw’e took the maximum points.

Great goals have been scored, ugly incidents on the pitch gone un-punished, financial crisis have hit GorMahia, AFC Leopards and Sofapaka hard and poor refereeing decisions have been a major talk! The Ulinzi Stars- Gor Mahia (City Stadium), Gor Mahia-Sofapaka (City Stadium), AFC Leopards-Western Stima (Moi Stadium) and Tusker-Bandari (Ruaraka) are some of the matches that epitomized the questionably poor refereeing decisions that have drawn cries from coaches, players and fans alike in the 2015 season. Awkward calls, questionable plays gone un-punished and downright incompetence, or lack of it altogether best describe the whistlers in the field of play. However, the poor refereeing is the result of a supremacy battle that Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has extended to KPL, and as a result, KPL has had to do with not the best of referees! 

AFC Leopards have had to face a near financial death as their sponsors, Mumias Sugar have had to endure dry pockets. Players have been unpaid for months and the near-boycott of Sunday’s clash against Sofapaka was just a tip of the ice-berg. At one point, Harambee Stars captain, Victor Mugubi donated Ksh 700, 000 to rescue the team that is facing such dire crisis. This financial crunch has ashamed the Ingw’e den and turned their loyal players into near-beggars. Remember Martin Imbalambala being locked out of his house in Thika over unpaid rent? Things got worse and chairman, Kasavuli unceremoniously handed over to a care-taker committee that is led by, long-time Ingw’e man, Thomas Ole Magelo. Things are thick financially and unless a miracle happens, the second leg will find a dying leopard! Things at GorMahia and Sofapaka are not any better and a bread initiative is what Gor Mahia is depending on. Most of the clubs have begging bowls as unpaid salaries and allowances become a norm in the league!

The supremacy battle between a political FKF and KPL threatened the 2015 KPL season but after a mild court battle, action resumed on the pitches. However, the coast is not yet clear and a perfect example is the barring of FIFA-accredited officials from handling matches. Subsequently, poor refereeing has been the talk of the KPL 2015 first leg. 

As the first leg wound up and fans celebrated great strikes, telling saves and feisty affairs on the pitch, poor refereeing and financial crisis threatened to cut short the excitement. The break is a God-given chance for clubs to get better players into their units and help sort the devil of financial crisis, like Ingw’e, K’Ogallo and Sofapaka. Mathare United are still enjoying the timely multi-million sponsorship by insurance giants, BRITAM.

The second leg should bring in more football joy to the lovers of the beautiful game. It is all there is on the field, until the elite European 2015-16 season kicks off in August! We all hope to have more and exciting positive talking points from the 2015 KPL second leg.

Let us enjoy Kenyan soccer, it is our pride!

The Barcelona Juggernaut will tear Juventus apart!

A dreaded Thiery Henry-Messi-Samuel Eto’o attacking trio scored 100 goals for Catalan giants in the 2008-10 season, leading the club to a sweep of the UEFA Champions League, La Liga title and the Copa Del Rey! Six years later, under the tutelage of former Spanish and Barcelona great, Luis Enrique, an even dreaded and ruthless Barcelona attack has instilled fear across Europe and the globe. It already has the 2014-15 La Liga and Copa Del Rey titles under its belt. They are on course to hit the 2008-09 treble. The Messi-Luis Suarez-Neymar evil axis has already hit a record 120 goals in the 2014-15 season. They have the chance to add onto that haul in Saturday’s UEFA Champions league final against The Italian Old Lady, in Berlin, Germany.

Juventus earned their place in the final through grit and mettle. After a narrow 1-0 aggregate win over AS Monaco in the Quarter finals, they confirmed its place in final by edging out defending champions, Real Madrid, 3-2. A 2-1 win in Turin was followed by a 1-all draw at the Bernabeau. The chief architect was none other than former Los Blancos forward, Alvaro Morata, who scored one in Turin and notched the priceless away goal in the return match.  Initially considered outsiders in Europe’s elite club competition, Juventus have returned to the greatest stage. Gianluigi Buffon, their decorated shot-stopper has a chance to lift the Big Ears trophy on the same turf, where he won the World Cup in 2006! With former Ac Milan master, Massimiliano Allegri, Juventus have a great tactician capable of winning any final. Remember, he knocked out an equally good if not better Carlo Ancelloti star-studded team in the semis.

However, as Berlin beckons in two days’ time, the odds favor Barcelona to lift the Big Ears on Saturday and cap an outstanding season. With the selfless yet unstoppable magician in Messi, Luis Suarez, one of the most ruthless strikers and the clever Neymar, Barcelona are on course to pop the champagne on Saturday. They got the master dribbler and midfield master in captain, Andreas Iniesta, pass-master Xavi Hernandez and one of the most technically gifted defensive midfielders of his generation, Sergio Busquets. Dan Alves, the hardworking Brazillian right-back is second in the assists charts in this season’s competition, is in their ranks too. Gerad Pique has rediscovered his class at the heart of the defense and comfortably blends with either, Mathieu, Javi Mascherano or the fit again Thomas Vermalean. In left back, Jordi Alba is a fast defender who oozes skill going forward and an appetite for goals. In Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Barcelona has a proven shot-stopper who has stood out in this season’s Champions League. His alternative, Mexico’s Claudio Bravo has excelled in La Liga and is a safe pair of hands too! On the bench, Pedro Rodriguez, Xavi, are players who can win a game on any day!

The near-flawless tik-taka that Barcelona have displayed this season will not disappoint when it matters most! In the first leg of their semi-final against Bayern Munich, Barcelona patiently stroked the ball up to the 77^th minute when sheer genius by Messi opened the floodgates. Did I say that it is the second goal when Messi took out Dereck Boateng’s batteries in a flash before beating a hapless Manuel Nuer in goal? Forget not the sublime skill and determination from Suarez to Messi that fed Neymar for the third goal, as Bayern threw their men forward. Many would say that in the return match in Munich, Barcelona rode luck. But hey, they scored two at the Allianz and anyway, the tie had been decided at the Camp Nou!

June 6^th is two days away. We all know what Messi-Suarez-Neymar axis portends for the Old Lady of Turin! It is likely to be a horrible night for the hard tackling Italian back-line of Chielini-Bonucci/Barzagli-Lichtsteiner-Evra and Buffon between the sticks! My money is on Barcelona to tear Juventus apart. A disappointment for the Catalan giants is unlikely and if it happens, Juventus will be worthy conquerors of Europe! Remember, since 1990, Barcelona have never lost in a Champions league final. Sampdoria (1991-92), Arsenal (05-06) and Manchester United (08-09 & 2010-11) were the victims. Juventus are the 2015 victims!

No one best describes Messi’s football wizardry than Juventus captain, Gianluigi Buffon who described Messi as ‘an alien that dedicates himself to playing with humans’!!

FIFA in Ruins as Blatter Opts Out!

Days after being controversially re-elected for a record fifth term, on a Friday night in Zurich, beleaguered President, Sepp Blatter announced his decision to resign on Tuesday night. The corruption, racketeering, bribery and money laundering allegations have thrown Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) into an ugly ditch. The fire at FIFA House in Zurich proved too much for the man who has been at its helm since 1998! 

Last week’s arrest of seven top-ranking FIFA officials by Swiss police on charging of receiving more than $150 million (Ksh98 billion) opened the can of worms that has ruined FIFA, led to the resignation of its president and unprecedented scrutiny into the affairs at FIFA House in Zurich. Despite calls by UEFA to postpone last Friday’s poll, the election went ahead with Confederation of African Football (CAF) and Asian Football Confederation (AFC), loudly voting for Blatter. Prior to the election, iconic Portuguese soccer legend pulled out of the ballot in protest of the goings-on at FIFA House, leaving Jordan’s Prince Ali Bin Al- Hussein as the only stronger to unseat Blatter. However, Prince Ali withdraw after forcing the election into a second round, thus gifting Blatter a fifth term. However, Blatter never got to enjoy his new term and on Tuesday, he opted to resign. As the footballing world awaits his resignation, the dream of Luis Figo or Prince Ali Bin Hussein to head FIFA and restore its image is ever drawing close. We are on the verge of a new dawn in soccer.

The global football body has never faced such tough times. Its President has opted out, Vice President Jeffrey Webb and six other top honchos are in police custody in the United States of America as investigations go on. A total of 47 indictments have been levelled against the FIFA-7 by the United States Federal Court. The hosting of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups by Qatar and Russia respectively has been thrown into scrutiny. Blatter’s right hand man, Jerome Valcke was implicated in a $ 10 million payment relating to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.In its response, South African Football Association (SAFA), termed the allegation as baseless. However, the ongoing investigations by Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and Swiss authorities will bring out the facts and figures of this scam and show us the faces behind it all.

Russian president, Vladimir Putin came out blazing saying that USA authorities were avenging on their failed bid to host the 2022 showpiece. The 2006 and 2010 World Cups in Germany and South Africa have also resurfaced. Irregularities have been alleged in all these four bids. Things are tough and Blatter took off, leaving behind a house in ruins!

The world is watching in bated breath as the US Federal Court casts its net wider to nab all the suspects in this intricate web of kick-backs and bribery that is threatening to bring down FIFA House. US-based FIFA sponsors which include, Coca-Cola, Budweiser, Visa and McDonald’s have called for swift action and return to transparency at FIFA. European Association of Football Associations (UEFA) Chief, Michel Platini has been vocal in calling for changes in the modus operadi at FIFA in the wake of these corruption scam.With nine current and former officials at FIFA alongside five business executives under its snare, the scam at FIFA might claim more casualties. 

In his own words after his controversial re-election last week, Sepp Blatter said, ‘FIFA needs profound restructuring. I decided to stand again to be elected because I was convinced it was the best option for football. Although the members of FIFA gave me a new mandate, this mandate does not seem to be supported by everyone in the world’’. These words best capture the dire need for reforms at FIFA House on one hand and the revolt against Blatter by those who envisage the reform to begin with the exit of Blatter. Now that he will be exiting in some month, there is the chance for reforms at FIFA. Blatter promised after his re-election to kick-start the reforms and if indeed he keeps his word, then his endeavor should be supported before he leaves office. The dirt at FIFA must be washed away. The image and respect of FIFA should be restored through the correct ways. It is the biggest scam to hit FIFA since its inception and yes it is the best opportunity to put things in order at FIFA. It is a chance to ensure that controversies do not blur World Cup bids as it happened to the 2006, 2010, 2018 and 2022 bids! FIFA needs to be beyond reproach. 

Africa will forever be grateful to the outgoing Blatter for bringing the 2010 extravaganza to its soil! A lot of gains have been made in football under Blatter. Sadly, scandals have tainted FIFA House. We have a chance to correct all these and punish those responsible. We also have the opportunity to usher in fresh breath into FIFA leadership. Luis Figo, Prince Bin Al-Hussein and Michel Platini are possible men to take over from Blatter. Whoever comes in, football needs to win and not individuals!