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VOL 1 | ISSUE 14 | JULY | AUGUST 2018
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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 Ian Mandela 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
LETTER From the Editor
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he 14th edition of the Soka magazine is here and as usual serves another package of informative pieces around Kenyan football. Gor Mahia have just clinched their 17th league title and they did it despite having a crazy season, which saw the team take part in six different competitions in 2018 and contested for seven trophies, winning four. Their journey has been remarkable, but where did it all start? We trace the steps back to a decade ago in our main story for this edition. With the tone sticking on celebrating the Kenyan Premier League giants, our Life After Football segment focuses on one man who made a name both in class and at Gor Mahia – Dr. William Obwaka – the man who delivered the famous 1985 CECAFA Club Championship with goals against AFC Leopards in Sudan. Francis Onyiso, one of the most celebrated Kenyan footballers of our times decorates out Legend of the Game segment as he gives us a peek of what ticked in their days and his view of the current footballers and Harambee Stars. Get also to know about Elizabeth Kioko, a girl with great promise for the future in our Star on the Rise part and a double bill of Women Football in our trip down to Thika to profile Kenya Women Premier League side, Thika Queens. The Blast from the Past segment as always, has your short and entertaining piece on issues that made headlines back in the day. This time we take you back to a Kenyan Premier League game that went on a half time break of 24 days. We trust that you will not only enjoy this, but also give feedback for future editions.
Dan Ngulu Editor-in -Chief
Online www.soka.co.ke
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CONT GRASSROOT FOOTBALL
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Metro Sports
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COVER STORY
A decade of glory: A story of Gor Mahia’s conquest
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STAR ON THE RISE
CLUB PROFILE Thika Queens
Destined for Greatness: Elizabeth Kioko
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YOUTH FOOTBALL
Hesbon Nyabinge: Linking the Grassroots to the National Team
Tents BIG INTERVIEW
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LEGEND OF THE GAME Francis Onyiso bears the tale of a diligent soldier whose life is dedicated to not only defending the country.
John Kamau
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WOMEN FOOTBALL
Women Manning the Game
LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL
A Life outside the beautiful game: The Many Hats of Dr. William Obwaka on Life after Football
74 78 FOOTBALL JOURNEY
BLAST FROM THE PAST
David Ouma: Humble beginnings, KPL sojourn and Starlets’ success
Longest half time
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COVER STORY
GOR MAHIA
A story of Gor Mahia’s conquest From a club that put Kenyan football on the African map in the 80s, to sinking low in the 90s, the last decade has seen a revival of Gor Mahia and the club can once again dare to dream of standing up to the African giants. By Dan Ngulu
Gor Mahia players in jovial mood as they await the presentation of the SportPesa Super Cup, which the team has won twice consecutively
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Gor Mahia players, Meddie Kagere, Jacques Tuyisenge and Harun Shakava celebrate a goal in a past game
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or Mahia may not have won everything they played for in the 2018 campaign, but they set a standard for Kenyan football, and Kenyan clubs particularly. The Green Army put a marker, a threshold that clubs seeking success have to reach. Dependent on how the club’s campaign in 2018 is looked at, one may successfully argue that this has been the best year for the team, of course when we choose not to focus on the 1987 Africa Cup Winners Cup triumph. A cut above the rest Domestically, they proved to be in a class of their own. Many cuts above the rest. Gor Mahia sent shock waves throughout the region and even in the continent as they became the first Kenyan team to reach the group stages of a continental club competition - the CAF Confederations Cup. They only missed by a whisker reaching the quarter finals. By Kenyan standards, and regarding the club’s budget, it was a good try by far and no doubt a promise of much better things to come.
However, the success being posted by the team today did not come by accident. It was a carefully crafted plan to set off the team on a journey and not a destination. It was an act of great vision set up a decade ago, by one wise man, James Sianga. A tactician and a planner, who had a vision for the club but sadly didn’t live to see the fruits as he passed on in 2016. There is no better place to start tracking Gor Mahia’s success story in the last decade, than where Sianga’s input was felt.
Domestically, they proved to be in a class of their own. Many cuts above the rest However, lifting the club to the current highs was not a one man job. A lot of well-wishers from the media fraternity, fans and corporates had to get involved. One man who has seen it all is the current Assistant Secretary General, Ronald Ngala.
Ngala started as the Gor Mahia Public Relations Officer in 2005 and went on to serve for three years in the role, a period he describes as ‘years of hell’ due to the club’s struggles to meet its operational costs. First elective post He would get his first elective post in 2008 as the Assistant Secretary General in charge of Technical Operations. The position made him work closely with Sianga, who upon appointment, set a five – year strategic plan, which he didn’t stay too long at Gor Mahia to see through. Among Sianga’s key contributions before leaving, was the recruitment of a brand of youngsters at the club, with the vision to have them as the foundation of the club’s future success. These youngsters included Musa Mohamed, Anthony Akumu, George Blackberry Odhiambo, Duncan Macheda Owiti, Jerim Onyango, Eric Masika and more. The coach’s plan then was not to inject instant success but build the team for years. His ideas were howevver music to the impatient fans. soka.co.ke 7
COVER STORY
GOR MAHIA Ngala in charge, organized for a number of friendly matches with regional giants to try and lift Gor Mahia to that level. In 2008 the club won the KFF Cup, and with it a ticket to represent Kenya in the CAF Confederations Cup after a lengthy absence and while they felt the team was ready for Africa, came the rudest of shocks as a visiting APR side beat Gor 5 – 0 in Nairobi before finishing off with a 1–0 beating in Kigali.
Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier makes an entry at Camp Toyoyo ahead of the team’s past match
It was particularly hard to make them understand when the youthful team struggled and was roughed up on one 2009 afternoon after the team had lost to Thika United, an act that marked his end at Gor, abandoning his young project. The acrimonious fashion in which Sianga was forced out is still fresh in Ngala’s mind; “The problem with most of our fans today, and even back then those 10 years, is that they didn’t see the Gor Mahia of back then. They did not see the great Gor Mahia team and as such can’t appreciate the value of being patient and letting the coach do his job,” he points out. Nonetheless, Ngala appreciates Sianga for the foundation he set and the fact that he gave the club a roadmap towards professionalization of the technical bench’s operations, though the fruits for this would be realized much later, and after few coaches had literally been hounded out. Before the resurgence at Gor Mahia, which started in 2008 when current chairman Ambrose Rachier was first elected to office, the club was a shell of the great K’Ogalo that had once conquered the continent and the region. After the 1995 league triumph, things took a downturn and the club had to endure a good 18 years before winning the next league title.
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Results on the pitch were dictated by the club’s financial situation and being a community club, what was being raised from gate collections was peanuts. It was very tough “Between 1996 and a better part of the early millennium, the club’s financial records indicated gate
Among Sianga’s key contributions before leaving, was the recruitment of a brand of youngsters at the club
Coaches came and went Many coaches came and went, including Sammy Omollo, Gideon Ochieng, Zedekiah Otieno and Cameroonian Anaba Awono. A rough patch of results would end up in the coach being ejected in very uncomfortable circumstances some even roughed up. One incident still in many people’s minds is the case when one of the coaches, Raphael Auka, was forced to state under siege that he is resigning from his position, right after a match at Nyayo National Stadium. After going through the practice without much success, the club decided on a change of tact. This change came in the shape of Croatian coach Zdravko Logarusic in 2012 after Awno’s ejection. “Logarusic really helped us; he
collections of like 8000 shillings and for a team of 30 players and officials, that amount could not run the club. It was a very tough,” Ngala continues. Gor was a dying breed, but thanks to people like Ngala and Rachier, efforts were made to restore the glory and they brought on board journalists to try and make public the brand and get people to attend matches. The efforts worked well to some point, but then the fans had to be retained and with the meager collections, the management, with
Gor Mahia assistant coach Bobby Ogolla was happy to meet Zdravko Logarusic (of AFC Leopards) after the two worked together at Gor
brought a new style of management to the team, and instilled professionalism in the technical bench. He would bar any outsider from influencing the performance of the technical bench and that is when we started performing consistently well.
Decrease in hooliganism The 2018 season saw a substantial decrease in the cases of hooliganism and crowd trouble and the same coincided with a fine run for the club, depicting a correlation between good performance and orderliness among fans.
“He fiercely insisted on separating the technical bench, the office and the fans, while at the same time getting all these key units united to work for the good of the team,” Ngala notes.
Ngala says the pain of missing out on the title as Gor finished the season without silverware taught them a lesson they couldn’t have otherwise learnt.
Handling polls With the issue of coaching almost settled, the club embarked on professionalizing operations, and that started with the handling of elections.
hooliganism and Ngala opines that apart from the docked points in 2016, the lost sponsorship in 2013 was among the most painful moments for the club as operations were badly affected. The team had to rely on dropping gate collections before sinking to a low of getting a paybill number to try and raise money for the team’s operations.
Results on the pitch were dictated by the club’s financial situation and being a community club, what was being raised from gate collections was peanuts
Ngala admits the ambition has always been to match the giants in the continent and picks elections as a key aspect in the growth of the club. “In terms of creating the ideal club able to match the big teams of Africa, I’d say we are still making the steps; we are maybe 40% or 50% there but for sure we are on the right path. “Among the factors we are starting to get right is the issue of elections, which is very key to the stability of the club and also one of the main avenues for our fans to exercise their control and contribution to the club.
“Some of the cases of hooliganism were as a result of social media banters but three things that have really helped in the fight to stop such cases were the pain in missing silverware because of docked points, general maturity among fans and the team’s improving performance,” he says.
Fans branches The need to start portraying the club in good light saw a massive insistence on fans’ branches and many sprung up at around that time, which Ngala credits for the improved fortunes; “our fans have enlightened on the demerits of hooliganism.
The club lost a sponsorship from dairy firm, Tuzo, due to cases of
They saw when Tuzo did not renew the contract we suffered a lot. At
“Earlier on we used to conduct the simplest mode of elections – the Mlolongo one, where someone would go to Machakos and get very many people, not necessarily our members, to come and vote. That was the cause of many of our problems but we now have a register of members and we are constantly working on improving this,” he adds. The fans hold a special place in Gor Mahia’s success but have also been the cause for much pain to the team, case in point, acts of hooliganism in 2016 which saw the team docked points that would have made a difference for the team in the year’s title race. Former Gor Mahia striker Meddie Kagere, and his Rwandan counterpart Jacques Tuyisenge celebrate a goal in a past league match against Kakamega Homeboyz
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Gor Mahia fans in attendance at one of the team’s matches. The fan base has been key in spurring the club to current heights
COVER STORY
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GOR MAHIA
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GOR MAHIA
Jaro Soja has made a name as one of the die hard fans of the club and he rarely misses the team’s matches
this period we had to go without money for long they also saw the need to strengthen their groupings and support the club. That is when the branches became strong and influential because they played a crucial part in fighting hooliganism from within their ranks,” he says. The peace of mind that comes with fans behaving in the right way allows the club leadership focus on getting the right personnel for the team, both coaches and players. In the past few years, Gor Mahia have gotten it right with coaches, and a majority of players. The team has had two Scots, a Croat, a Brazilian and an Englishman as head coaches since 2012 and the stability in the team has enabled them win five league titles in the last six years. However, it has not always ended amicably with the all coaches. Frank Nuttall and Ferreira literally walked out of the team before the end of their contracts but of course the team moved on. Research on coaches “Before we bring in a coach we try as much as possible to know them
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and they are given a great welcome and support by our fans when they come here. We don’t bring quacks or tourists to Gor Mahia; you can see Logarusic almost won the league for us after so many years, then came Bobby Williamson, who won the league, then Nuttal, who won the league unbeaten, then Ze Maria came with a different brand of football.
Logarusic brought a new style of management to the team, and instilled professionalism in the technical bench Now we have Dylan Kerr, whose performance is there for all to see. “Their problems start when they perform so well, get to comfort zones, then the support from fans get into their heads and they start disrespecting the Executive
Committee and start making unrealistic demands which sours the relations with the EC and they eventually leave. But even when they leave, they still keep tabs and some really want to come back whenever there is an opportunity,” he says. Choices While they have hit the right choices with the coaches, Gor Mahia have not always gotten it right with the players, but the club’s ambitions can’t be faulted, especially after going the extra mile to bring in two Brazilians in the recent years. The club hit headlines in 2012, when it shipped in a Brazilian, Giovanni Rodriguez but the player’s time at Gor Mahia ended as soon as Logarusic returned from the mid - season break. Rodriguez didn’t even get to feature in a competitive game for the club. The same happened under Jose Marcelo Ferreira’s time at the club. The coach brought in Thiago de Lima and just like his mate earlier, he never got to kick a ball at the team and after five months he was released.
Ngala acknowledges that bringing the two Brazilians was a big mistake, but they have learnt from it. “The first one, most of us did not approve of; he was brought by a fan and he convinced the chairman that the player was good, but just by looking at him, I was not convinced he was. The fan made a lot of effort to have the player in the team and for that one I can say we were duped. “In business at times you hit it big, sometimes you fail; here we failed. “The second one was brought in by coach Ze Maria and he believed the player was good but it turned out that he had been out of action for a very long time so keeping him for a longer time to get his fitness back, while earning a salary, being a foreigner, and from Brazil specifically, was going to be very expensive. That is why we released him. “I don’t think they were good enough,” he confesses.
Big misses The two Brazilians, and a few other local and foreign players were big misses for the club, but the big hits are more. It happens that the club involves a very wide range of stakeholders to point it towards the right player. Ngala terms transfer business a joint
The 2018 season saw a substantial decrease in the cases of hooliganism and crowd trouble effort, which at times would see players in the team recommend who to be signed. To a large extent, this has worked well for the club. “The transfer business is a joint effort; we don’t have a specific person to do that for us. Sometimes we even involve rival coaches to give us reviews on certain players and we
also get recommendations from players and fans then we get the right people to assess these players before we sign them. “Our young goalkeeper Peter Odhiambo, for example, was recommended to us by our goalkeeper Boniface Oluoch and we got him looked at before signing him so you see such recommendations play a key role,” he adds. Getting to join K’Ogalo is always a big step forward for most players the club gets, and the fan support they enjoy makes them better and oils their progress in their careers. But again in football, the more a team succeeds, the more suitors turn focus on it and seek to pluck players from it. Gor Mahia has suffered from this a lot, with the club on most cases getting what may be termed a raw deal. Making the transfer business generate profits has not been a stroll for the Kenyan giants. Profitability in transfers, the world over, calls for very skillful contractual engagement with players and of course the handling of these players’ representatives. Most players in Kenya loathe long term contracts and clubs too always go to the negotiating table seeking to get the deal that would pay back well and in the shortest possible time. Ngala admits they have not been very successful on this front due to issues beyond their control. “Here the biggest problem is with the players’ handlers. These people bring us very good players and they want these players seen then rush them out of the team to make a kill in the transfer fees. They make the players sign short term deals so they can make the most when it comes to renewal of their contracts or transfers. “A player like Kenneth Muguna for
Musa Mohamed (right) took over the captaincy at Gor Mahia after Jerim Onyango called time on his playing career
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GOR MAHIA
Celebration time; Harun Shakava leads team mates in celebration after winning the 2018 SportPesa Super Cup
example; if I were his handler, I’d have given him at least two years at Gor. That is when his talent would have been seen well in Africa and beyond and he’d make a big move. “From the club’s side, you also don’t want to give a player a very long contract then he fails to live to the potential expected. It becomes very expensive to let go of such a player in that circumstance. It is a tough act but you have to get the right balance because it is also a big jackpot when the player has a long contract and a big move comes by,” he says. Sometimes the club has to go by the players’ wish, when they decline to open talks for contract extension and when it gets to the point where the said player is a key member in the team, it degenerates to a desperate situation for the club. The EC cannot recommend for the exclusion from the team of a player who has refused to negotiate for a contract extension and the club’s hands are normally tied, when the player deliberately decides to see off his contract, holding off for bigger deals elsewhere.
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A case in point was Meddie Kagere, whose last action at the club was against Ulinzi Stars in a league game and two days later, he became a Simba SC player, inking a big money move, with Gor Mahia not getting a cent.
Gor Mahia have not always gotten it right with the players, but the club’s ambition can’t be faulted “Some of them are honest and tell you in good time that they won’t renew or they confirm they will renew but ask to be allowed to concentrate on playing first,” he notes. To an extent, Ngala understands the players’ moves when they hold off for big money moves, given the short nature of football as a career. What he despises however, is the act of playing their cards under the table only to pull a fast one on the club.
Good business Good transfer business got the team good players and got the team to once again grace the high reaches of continental football in 2018 as Gor Mahia got to the group stages of the CAF Confederations Cup and were within just 90 minutes of getting to the quarter finals. The team got good reviews across the continent for its performance in the competition and locally too, after showing great prowess, despite playing the most matches and participating in the most competitions. Invincible Gor Mahia Even though they didn’t manage to win all they played for, Ngala believes the good old invincible Gor Mahia is coming back. “To attain the status of a champion, or a giant, you must be in a position to play in all the matches that come your way, and win the most of them, and especially the crucial ones. We have played so many matches this year. We won the KPL Super Cup, the SportPesa Super Cup and premier league and that tells you we have
had a very good squad this year,” he continues. Playing in seven different tournaments in a season, at times saw Gor Mahia get to the pitch every three days, at some point there was mention of fatigue but a big capable squad made the rather tight schedule look so simple to handle. Gor Mahia were happy to vie for all available trophies, but a section of the crowd thought that was being greedy, especially in participating in tournaments like the CECAFA Kagame Cup, and the SportPesa Shield. Ngala has a differing view; “That can only come from a hater. Our target for this year was to get to the group stages of the continental competitions and getting there was not by accident, it was by default. “Another target was to win the league, and win any trophy that comes our way. We won the KPL Super Cup and SportPesa Super Cup too, and if you have such targets and get three trophies, that is a good achievement. There is nothing like
being greedy; our target was not to win the Confederations Cup, but getting there would have been an icing on the cake,” he points out. Financial question Winning trophies is just one part of being successful as a club, but when it is not accompanied by financial growth, it becomes a huge issue. At the close of 2012, Gor Mahia stared into a bleak future with the withdrawal of the Tuzo sponsorship and the club went into deep financial woes, unable to meet the daily needs to run the club and its projects.
In business at times you hit it big, sometimes you fail - Ngala “When we talk of Gor Mahia being able to match the giants in African football, we expect the club to be far off in terms of merchandizing.
We are not yet there. You’d expect to see a club house, a proper club headquarters and many more. These are not up and running though we are doing a lot to get the club there. “When it comes to revenue collection, our main undoing lately has been that while the club is on the rise, the fan attendance in our matches has been dropping. If you look at the number of fans who were attending our matches in 2010 to 2013, we are nowhere near it. At that time we could not get anything below a million in our home matches but now it has gone down by more than half,” he adds. The lack of match venues due to refurbishment of the available stadia, has also not helped a lot as the club has to spend a lot on transport, which also leaves a dent, considering the number of matches the team plays. A good sponsorship package from the club’s main funders’ SportPesa has helped ends meet but after a long spell without a financier and all the costs incurred it will definitely
Ronald Ngala has been in the management of the club for over a decade now and has played a key role in the major decisions at the club over the years
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GOR MAHIA
take a bit of time before the club not only stabilizes, but also breaks even. The Taxman impediment And while the progress is made steadily towards monetizing, a big monster standing in the club’s way is the Kenya Revenue Authority. The Taxman is after the club and recently sought to seize its assets, apparently for failing to pay taxes amounting to Kshs 129m. Ngala says this is down to a misunderstanding. “The Sports Act is not yet well operational in Kenya, and Gor Mahia, just like AFC Leopards, is still operating as a society and thus not a profit making entity so there is no way we can owe KRA such an amount. “When Gor Mahia was acquiring the first bus, we had to obtain a PIN and that is where this misunderstanding came about so basically, Gor is still operating as a society and just like many other clubs in the premier league is a non – profit making entity and should not have problems with KRA,” he notes as he confirms the issue is being addressed.
think of getting a stadium. “When SportPesa came in, we had gone three years without a sponsor. We were managing a wage bill of over Kshs 3m without a sponsor. “There were spillovers into what SportPesa brought in, and it could
Most players in Kenya loathe long term contracts be enough in managing the team by the allowances and other payments but other debts ate into it and that is why we have never raised enough to start the project but it is something we really want to do,” Ngala concludes.
Kenyan Premier League: 17 1968, 1974, 1976, 1979, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018
CAF Cup Winners' Cup: 1 1987
The ambition to match the giants in Africa means Gor Mahia needs a massive financial muscle for its projects but having spent years without much going into its coffers, means getting the club to operate as a business is greatly affected.
CECAFA Clubs Cup: 3 1980, 1981, 1985
Domestic Cup: 10
Stadium plans Most financially viable clubs in the world attest to breaking even after getting their own stadia. This too has been Gor Mahia’s ambition. However, the club has immediate, and more pressing issues to deal with.
1976, 1981, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1992, 2008, 2011, 2012
Kenyan Super Cup: 3
“It is just a matter of priority; if we get a partner willing to hold our hand in that we are very ready but at the moment we first want to address issues to do with the team, then monetize and then after that we can
2009, 2013 (pre-season), 2015, 2017
KPL Top 8 Cup: 2 Follow Dan Ngulu on Twitter: @danodinga
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Fact File
2012, 2015
Settling at Gor Mahia was not a problem for Dylan Kerr and he has now bagged two KPL titles in two years with the team
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Gor Mahia players with the 2018 Super Cup trophy
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GRASSROOT FOOTBALL
METRO SPORTS
METRO GRASSROOT FOOTBALL
Sports
The small club with gigantic ambitions, Metro Sports has stood the test of time. With meager resources, the club has survived the last 21 years, churning out talent every year and silently playing a key role in growing Kenyan football. By Dan Ngulu
T
he fight over the ownership of the Ruaraka land is on, with the County Government of Nairobi and the Ministry of Lands pulling on different directions concerning the piece apparently purchased at Kshs 1.5 billion. And in a perfect construction of the adage, when two bulls fight it is the grass that feels the heat, hundreds of youngsters who use the pitch for their daily training and weekend matches huddle up in one corner of the expansive red - earth ground to feed their ambitions of one day gracing the paid ranks as far as professional football is concerned. The Drive Inn Primary School playground has demarcations religiously guarded in time for the next team’s training session, on a Saturday, a day which will also see the pitch host a number of matches in the SportPesa Super 8 League. Of the teams set to take to the pitch for a training session is Metro Sports, the oldest of all the teams that use
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the pitch as a home ground and for training. One of the teams that wakes up daily hoping the saga involving the piece of land will not lead to its closure. For a team that once used the GSU grounds just adjacent to the Drive Inn Primary School grounds, the fears are warranted, with their former stomping grounds now besieged by a concrete fence. At least they are guaranteed that on this day they will have their chance to play; no men in suits come over on a Saturday to inspect the controversial land, filling the youngsters with fear of being kicked out. Started in the year 1997, Metro Sports lays claim to having housed a number of established Kenyan internationals, both former and current, and it still holds the promise of churning out more
Boniface Oluoch has grown through the Metro Sports ranks and is currently at National Super League side, Nakuru AllStars
Head coach Anthony Inda, in consultation with club members, lines out his startegy during a past game
for the future, with a well-designed conveyor belt starting from players as young as 10 years. One face that has always been around the team, is Anthony Inda’s the team’s senior coach. A man who has literally dedicated his life to the team and churning out talent. He has a number of coaches working with him but any talk of Metro Sports’ success comes with his name heavily implanted in it. Inda did not start off as coach at the team; taking up coaching was born from his need to be a change at the team, having started off as a player. “We started off in 1997 as a group of players out to have fun playing the game we love, but along the way our coach left us and someone had to step up to keep the team on course. “It is at that point that I realized I can mobilize people and I soon found myself with lesser playing time and
more management duties. The rest is history,” he chuckles as he fixes his gaze on the horizon as if trying to find the path the team has walked. It was never easy for him those early days, having replaced Hezron Mose as coach and without any formal
Metro Sports lays claim to having housed a number of established Kenyan internationals both former and current, and it still holds the promise of churning out more training as a coach. He just got by, and along the way, the vision to make this a long term project arose. From this, a father figure came out of
a leader and Inda has molded a number of established players without much ado. From a team of U10, the club today has four age group teams and a senior team, and has grown from the initial number of 30 players back in 1997, to the current 181 players. The U10 team has 20 players while 39 are officially enrolled in the U12 team and 35 are in the U14 team. The U16 team has 35 players and from this stage the players graduate to the Metro Sports senior team, which currently houses 52 players. “Starting off was very hard; I was a young boy then and getting to convince the parents to allow me be with their sons, for football training, was tough. It only became easier when the stories of our players starting to do well filtered out there that parents became more receptive,” he says. Returns on investment Like most teams dedicated to honing soka.co.ke 21
COVER STORY
METRO SPORTS
GRASSROOT FOOTBALL
METRO SPORTS Money is not everything “We rarely get transfer fees from the teams getting our players, but also money is not always the main thing; sometimes we just want to see the players perfect their skills here and get to test themselves in the top leagues, against top players. “Metro should be reaping from such moves, but we choose to advise the player on the right move and hope to see them grow. It is just a matter of pride, and especially when we see our players featuring for the national team,” Inda says. All the team gets on most cases is equipment like balls, training kit, and more. Once the players get to make a name out there, they also give back to the team and that is what keeps the team running.
Peter Wanyonyi is among the top players who have come from Metro Sports. He currently turns out for Kenya Police FC in the National Super League
talents at the early stage, Metro Sports doesn’t always get the full rewards for the investment put in over the years. Established teams would come to scout at Drive Inn Grounds, convince a player and pluck him from the team.
Posta Rangers, Boniface Oluoch and Vincent Oliyo who are at Nakuru AllStars, and John Morgan of Forest Rangers are some of the players who learnt the ropes at Metro Sports.
The fact that the club doesn’t make money also means at the senior level, it can’t hold on players, who need to start earning from their talent, and the best it does is to organize for trials and training sessions with top league teams with the hope of getting the players signed. Education Based at one of the most volatile regions in the city – Mathare North,
Perhaps this is due to the lack of a legal framework to guide the players’ transfers. Metro Sports, for the contribution in creating stars, should have broken even by now, but again that is dictated by many other factors, considering also that football doesn’t pay much as a business in Kenya. Sweden based Eric Johanna, FC Talanta’s Victor Ashinga, Michael Ochieng, formerly of Sofapaka, Gabriel Nduro, Peter Ambesa and David Okiki of Kenya Police FC are just a few of the players to have risen from the team. Anthony Khadudu who featured for Mathare United and Tusker, Felix Oucho formerly of AFC Leopards and Sony Sugar, Evans Wandera, formerly of Bandari FC and Sofapaka, Sammy Okinda, who is currently at Action during a training session for the U12 Metro Sports team
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club and while he chips in, his hope is that corporates can also come in and help in the club’s journey. “It is very hard to dedicate the little we have to share with the team but we have been pulling through.
Metro Sports keeper Stephen Ochieng, goes for a high ball in training
Metro Sports is one of the avenues Inda and the entire club management looks toward as a means of changing the society. Apart from football, the club negotiates with schools for sponsorships that get the players to class. Holistic growth of the youngsters in a key factor that Metro focuses on, as Inda says, they can’t just focus on the game and forget about schooling, given a majority at the club is players below 16 years.
help us because it is hard doing this alone. There is hope that things will get better because it is time we secure the future of this club and the players,” he notes. Inda hopes the football managing bodies in the country can get the age group teams participating in well run leagues and competitions, as
The fact that the club doesn’t make money also means at the senior level, it can’t hold on players, who need to start earning from their talent “Support from the government and corporate bodies has been minimal and that is why we do not realize the full potential of the talented youngsters that we have,” says Lore , who adds that a budget of between Kshs 1m and 1.5m is needed to keep the club running for a whole year. “I am currently talking to one potential sponsor to come in and
he says at most times when schools are closed, the youngsters have a lot of time and could get tempted to engage in unwelcome activities. The only available youth tournament that the team can take part in is the Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) leagues and some irregular competitions they get invited to. In terms of development of the players, he says this is detrimental.
“We have links with primary schools, and this has been expanding as we network and look to get our players chances to enhance their studies. The partnerships we have are with primary schools but we are still trying to crack it with secondary schools, which has been a bit difficult so far,” he notes. Getting such links without involving the area’s leadership can be a hard nut to crack, Inda says and that is where Oscar Lore, a former Member of County Assembly for the area comes in. Budget Lore, who has his place in the management of the club, is key in getting the players’ bursaries as well as partnerships with schools. He is also partly the financier at the
Participating in the SportPesa Super 8 League has lifted the fitness levels of the Metro Sports senior team
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GRASSROOT FOOTBALL
METRO SPORTS
“What I can request from the powers that be, is that we get to have a league well managed and running all year. That way we will help these youngsters and it will also be easy for coaches to get players.”
managed and how a team has to be run. Whenever our players leave for better prospects, they rarely struggle because of what they have learnt here and that is majorly through the Super 8 management.
The senior team is however better catered for in terms of regular game time as it takes part in the SportPesa Super 8 League and the coach says apart from just getting to play regularly every week, participating in the competition has given the club good insight in terms of player handling.
“Courtesy of the tournament we also have capacity building sessions that inculcate various management and refereeing skills for example and we are very thankful for their involvement,” he notes.
“The league has come to the grassroots and professionalized the game down here. It has given us a glimpse of how players should be
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One of the biggest beneficiaries in the opportunities Metro Sports offers is Benedict Otieno, who works one of the coaches at the team. His ambition is to become a top manager in the Kenyan Premier
League someday, but at the moment enjoys it more when he sees players progressing from the team to the paid ranks. “What pushes me to continue doing this every day is the poverty here in Mathare North. These players come from very humble backgrounds but they have immense talent, which can get them and their families out of the current situation. “It would make me feel really bad to see the talent go to waste, and that is why I dedicate my time for the team,” Otieno a holder of a Basic MYSA coaching courses certificate says.
Head coach Anthony Inda (exterme right, standing) and fellow coach Benedict Otieno (extreme left) with the U12 team
CLUB ACHIEVEMENTS 2005
MYSA champions U12 category
2007
MYSA U12 Boys runners up at Orange Tournament
2010
MYSA U14 Semi finalists
2012
MYSA U12 and U14 semi finalists
2013
MYSA U14 Boys Champions
2014
Ghetto Championship Tournament Senior Runners Up
2015
MYSA U12 Boys semi finalists
2015
Third place in Kasarani Constituency in Extreme Sports Tournament
2017
Finished in 5th position in the Super 8 Premier League
Head coach Anthony Inda takes the U14 Metro Sports team through a training session
Benedict Otieno issues instructions during the Metro Sports U12 team training session Follow Dan Ngulu on Twitter: @danodinga
soka.co.ke 27
CLUB PROFILE
THIKA QUEENS
CLUB PROFILE
THIKA H
By Terry Ouko
Fact File Name Year of Establishment
Thika Queens 2009
Achievements 2010
FKF Abadares branch league
2011
National Division one League
2015/2016
Women Premier League
2016
INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY Against Egypt National team (1-1)
2017
Runners up
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aving thirteen players in the junior and senior Kenya women national teams is not a shabby achievement. It is an indicator that a club has an edge over the rest. Such is the story of Thika Queens, which in the last nine years has made huge strides in developing not just the football skills, but also the capacity of women footballers. Dorcas Shikobe, Anita Adongo and Leila Apiyo are some of the notable names that played for the two-time Women Premier League (WPL) champions in the earlier years.
men’s team since he felt managing a women’s team was easier. In as much as he admits that dealing with girls can also pose challenges, he has learnt to handle them over time. Another factor he considered before forming the team was the fact that he saw so many talented women around Thika, some just playing with the boys, yet there were no organized teams.
Founded by Fredrick Ngugi, the team has over the years depended solely on well-wishers for support, unlike the general perception that it has sponsors.
“Having a women’s team has opened my eyes; I have learnt that in as much as it is an uphill task to get sponsors, it is easier to create opportunities for the women. The team needs a lot of security as compared to the boys, since when they have matches I have to be present but with the boys I could even let them go for matches on their own. For the women, you have to protect them in a way, since they have more needs than the men,” Ngugi says.
Formative years Prior to the team’s formation, Ngugi owned a men’s team called Thika Sportiff which played in the Division One League. Due to its growing financial needs, he opted to form a women’s team and do away with the
Being one of the most successful women clubs, Thika Queens has been on the forefront in matters developing young players. One case is the Kenya U20 national team captain Wincate Kaari who joined the club in its formative years.
Established in 2009, Thika Queens started playing in the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Aberdares branch league before they slowly rose all the way to the top league.
Thika Queens players walk off the pitch after a friendly match against Makolanders at Camp Toyoyo
She was only 11 years old when Ngugi spotted her gaining illegal access into the Thika Sub-county Stadium with the boys to watch a Kenyan Premier League match and decided to task her with mobilizing other young girls before going on to sponsor her education from primary school, then helping her acquire a football scholarship at Ng’inda Girls High School which is arguably the best in Murang’a County. According to Ngugi, It is easier to scout in-school players as compared to assembling an out of school women’s team. This is the sole reason why Thika Queens technical team has over the years partnered with primary and secondary schools, in order to strengthen the team. Sponsorship Despite being a self-sponsored club, the team gets so much support from the community especially during periods when they are required to travel for league matches. The thorny issue of sponsors affects women clubs globally and in as much
as we complain about disinterest from corporates to pump money in the women leagues, the Thika Queens chairman admits that funds mobilization rests with the clubs. “At first it was not easy managing this club, we could call for holiday camps since that is the only time we could get most of our players who were in school. This did not go well with the players and that is when we opted to work closely with schools. The head teacher at Ng’inda girls is a former referee and so when we approached her she did not have any trouble supporting us,” he continues. The club has stood the test of time, scaled the heights and certainly come from a lowly ranked team to a formidable force. It will be remembered that when the team was promoted to the Women Premier League in 2012, established teams like Matuu FC (then sponsored by UNICEF/National Youth Talent Academy), Kisii Ladies, Mbotela Kamaliza, Old is Gold, Western Commandos and MOYAS Ladies (then
sponsored by the Ministry of Youth and Sports) were the top teams, but they have all been disbanded. With the aforementioned clubs all leading the pack, Thika could only attain a mid-table finish then, but have since been winning titles with ease. Some of the titles they have won during tournaments include being crowned champions at the Vipawa tournament in Dagoretti-Nairobi, Jamhuri tournament in Mombasa, KCB tournament in Nyeri and Kisumu Youth Olympic tournament. The club also got to gauge itself an international friendly against the Egypt national team which ended 1-1 at the Moi International Sports Centre-Kasarani in 2016. The club was crowned the WPL Champions in 2015 and 2016 and finished second in 2017. Capacity building Divulging the secret behind the team’s success, former Thika and Harambee Starlets head coach Richard Kanyi explains that the
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CLUB PROFILE
THIKA QUEENS impossible for the players to strike an equilibrium between their jobs or school and active participation in the league. Some have since quit football completely to focus on other engagements which is a setback to the club, while some try to balance albeit amidst the immense challenges that come with it. Recently the Kenya Defense Forces formed a ladies’ team, meaning they will have to lose some of the players to the Ulinzi Starlets team where they have pledged allegiance. According to Benter Achieng who is the current Thika Queens’ head coach after being promoted to the post following Kanyi’s exit, watching the girls grow gives her joy.
Thika Queens forward Kate Wanjiku (in red) keeps Makolanders midfielder Martha Karimi under close watch in a past Women Premier League encounter
team’s strategic plan is to use football as a platform to help the girls build their capacity in other areas, including education and economic empowerment. They have always scouted talented girls in primary schools and after absorbing them in the team they help them secure scholarships in schools like Ng’inda Girls where the likes of Kaari, captain Lucy Ikhumba and Christine Kitaru were. With the help of the club, Kitaru recently joined Coffeyville College in the United States alongside Harambee Starlets midfielder Christine Kwamboka. Ikhumba who scored a B- at Ng’inda is also currently pursuing a degree in Supply Chain Management at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), thanks to her club which is offering her full scholarship among others. “I was approached by Chairman, Mr. Ngugi to start a ladies’ team and I must admit that at first I felt it was a crazy idea. We however opted to start Thika Queens with a few players, who could join us for
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training at the Thika B.A.T Grounds. It was not was not easy and we faced a lot of resistance from the community. However, when we started working with schools and
The club was crowned the WPL Champions in 2015 and 2016 and finished second in 2017.
2016 league title The mother of one played for Old is Gold before switching to Thika after the former was disbanded due to withdrawal of league sponsors UNICEF in 2013. She led the team to the title in 2016 after and also managed a second-place finish in 2017 after missing the closely contested battle to Vihiga Queens. Achieng however says that it has not been all smooth as sometimes the team struggles with match day costs,
the parents started seeing the value of playing football and helping the girls get employment, they slowly embraced the idea,” Kanyi recalls. In the same year, Leah Mureithi and Lucy Muhkwana were spotted while playing for Thika and that way, got employment in the Kenya Defence Forces. Other players like Shikobe and Adongo also got employed by Oserian and still work and play for Oserian Ladies club and the Harambee Starlets team. In as much as the club supports players to engage in other income generating ventures, it is sometimes
Thika Queens midfielder Fauzia Omar outpaces an onlooking Amy Lasu in a past WPL encounter against Makolanders FC
Thika Queens has enjoyed considerable success in the past few years
especially now that the league is unified and involves long trips. “I have been a player coach at Thika Queens for quite sometime and it is not easy dealing with your peers. At first it was a daunting task, since they look at me and see their equal. Most of these players have played with me in the same teams and we also grew up together. Right now, I have mastered the art of coaching effortlessly and am happy that I work with very experienced players, who know what they want and are very respectful,” she states. An ardent Women Premier League (WPL) fan will probably easily notice that Thika Queens stands out from the rest. Ikhumba reveals that the team’s success is pegged on discipline, which has been their strength over the years. Players who take part in tournaments without permission are normally suspended and penalized. Going against the club’s rules and regulations attracts punishment, so none of the players wants to be in the bad books of the technical bench. Education is one thing the skipper is keen on and urges her teammates to embrace at all times, because she knows that football is a short-term career.
Challenges “As a captain I get chances to represent Thika during media interviews, and such opportunities have made me a respected member of the society.
Education is one thing the skipper is keen on and urges her teammates to embrace The main challenge we face as a team is that there is low motivation. The club does not have sponsors and the chairman has to dig into his pockets to ensure everything is up and running. We mostly play because we are passionate about football but in real sense, we don’t get much out of football and that is why education comes first for me,” she explains.
WPL club was to receive Kshs. 750,000 while Division One clubs were to receive Kshs. 400,000. The club chairman lauds the move but feels that instead of clubs getting the money in bits, it should be given to them at once for easy planning. Ngugi also raised a concern that most of the well-wishers and potential sponsors have since withdrawn their support for the club, ever since FKF went public with the issue of grants. “The grants have helped us in some way, since it is better than getting nothing at all. Most clubs are struggling except for a few that are sponsored by either companies or the county governments. Right now,
FIFA Grants Ahead of the 2018 season, Women Premier League and National Division One teams received grants from FKF to cater for part of their expenses. The money from FIFA was distributed to clubs whereby each Action pitting Thika Queens against arch rivals Vihiga Queens
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CLUB PROFILE
THIKA QUEENS
Thika Queens were crowned the 2016 Kenyan Women Premier League champions at the Jericho’s camp Toyoyo Grounds
there is no consistency in the league. “We take too many breaks and it is hard to convince a sponsor to put money in a non-flowing league. “Corporates for instance would probably want their adverts to run up to a certain period of time but if we keep cancelling and postponing matches they will keep off our league,” says the soft-spoken chairman. The best rewards for the organization at the club is the ease to attract good players. The most recent coup by the team was the acquisition of Harambee Starlets trio of Mwanahalima Adam, Esse Akida and Jerada Akinyi from Mombasa Olympic and Spedag respectively. They also have an array of stars in Mercy Onyango, Lydia Akoth, Carolyne Kiget, Monica Karambu (custodian who has kept the most clean sheets in the last two seasons), Catherine Wangechi among others. Akida who ditched Spedag to join the former champions says that she is impressed with the team’s organization, starting from the training sessions to the friendly matches they play frequently. They also get allowances for their upkeep and a training allowance 34 soka.co.ke
which is way better than what other teams get. This however is not what attracted her to the team, but rather the fact that she can train consistently as she looks to accomplish her goal of playing professional football in Europe. The Moving The Goalpost-Kilifi prodigy adds that the peer education component, spiritual guidance and motivational talks from different personalities they can relate with is also something unique she noted in the team.
of training sessions among other factors. I have been longing to play for such an organized side and am hoping that something good will come out of all the hard work,” says the Harambee Starlets forward. Projects Football is no doubt the team’s focal point, but they also have different income generating projects for sustainability. These include; a gym, a cooking oil project, a car wash and a bus that the club rents out when the team is not using it. Another
The club chairman feels that instead of clubs getting the money in bits, it should be given to them at once Having undergone the same in her development stages, she is happy that her fellow players get to enjoy the same. “Playing for Thika Queens requires discipline of the highest level. This is not just in terms of how you relate with teammates, but also how you keep time ahead
Thika Queens takes on Vihiga Queens in a play off match in 2016 where the latter were crowned champions
interesting factor is that some of the manpower in these projects comes from the players at Thika Queens. Defender Juliet Auma works at the car wash while Catherine Githae who is currently an instructor at the club’s gym situated in Gatundu, underwent training before she got the job which she has been doing for over a year now. Harambee Starlets midfielder Kiget when not training, works at the oil company project. “Playing for Thika Queens comes with a lot of privileges. This is because we live like one big family and it is not always about football but the general well-being. I have been here for three seasons and it has been quite a journey. When not playing I work at the car wash and get money to take care of my needs and my siblings,” Auma says. Community service The club has been involved in different community service activities including visiting children’s homes in Thika and Gatundu, taking
Former Thika Queens coach Richard Kanyi issuing instructions during a past Women Premier League clash
Monica Karambu who are set for moves to Spain and Rwanda for Real Zaragoza and AC Kigali respectively. The club also plans to build its own stadium and has already procured
Football is no doubt the team’s focal point, but they also have different income generating projects for sustainability part in tree planting initiatives and organizing football clinics in schools in the area. Among the schools they work with include, Kenyatta Primary and St. Patrick in Thika. Notable well-wishers who have made their activities successful are Njoroge Mugo who is based in the United States, Julius Kirubi and Mr. Karita a business man in Thika.
land, pending construction and hopes to get sponsors to fund the project. “Sometimes you have to make the first step before you seek help. Our vision of building our own stadium will be realized since we already have a piece of land. This has been our strong point, trying to look for solutions to our problems instead of sitting back and waiting to be spoonTerry Ouko fed,” NgugiFollow concludes. on Twitter: @Terry_Ouko
Future plans With the immense talent in the team, Thika Queens chairman hopes to give the players the best chances for them to advance and head abroad for pro stints. Several scouts are keen on getting the services of Mwanahalima and soka.co.ke 35
STAR ON THE RISE
ELIZABETH KIOKO
DESTINED
FOR
GREATNESS ELIZABETH KIOKO By Zachary Oguda
A
little over a year ago, Elizabeth Kioko was not a name on many football followers’ lips. The 2017 National Secondary School Games had just drawn to a close and, as expected, Kwale Girls were heading home. In reality, a bottom place finish in Group B was beside the point. The fact that they had made it to the tournament was the real story. Kwale had outclassed favourites St. John’s, a school that is known to have churned out some of the best female football talents in the country with their poster girl being Mwanahalima Dogo Adam of Thika Queens. The fact that Kwale had overcome St John’s without a single known player was a feat to boast of. As it has been the norm in the past, the secondary school ball games have been the perfect platform for young talents to showcase what they can do in front of top coaches who always throng the showpiece for scouting purposes. Scouts and agents gather at the showpiece hoping to find a diamond in the rough yet to be plucked by the top teams in the country. Despite the disastrous outing in Nyeri, Kioko stood out
36 soka.co.ke
Elizabeth Kioko (second right) and her Kwale Girls School team mates celebrate a goal at the National School Games in Eldoret in 2018
as one of the best performers for her team. The winger often deployed as an attacking midfielder banged two goals, the only goals for her team in the tournament. Apart from toying around with her markers, Kioko’s willingness to help in defence made her a key player for her team as depicted by her coach Mukasa Amboko. “She is a special type of player; one of a dying breed in this generation of players. I spotted her in 2016 while playing for St. John’s and felt she didn’t have the support she needed as a player to thrive in the game. It only took me three minutes to be convinced that she was the type of player we needed. After the clash I approached her and in a few weeks she was in Kwale colours. “Interestingly, in her first year at our school, she helped us achieve our ambition of making it to the national games. She did damage to her former
school - not in a bad way - but it was a point to them that they hadn’t used her properly when they had the chance. She has been a hit since and I know she is headed for greater things,” Amboko says.
Apart from toying around with her markers, Kioko’s willingness to help in defence made her a key player for her team Born on 27th of May a year after the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, Kioko’s upbringing was not that rosy and football was the last thing her family would have wanted to see her pursue. Being the last born in a family of seven, her earlier years
were spent predominantly as the support staff to the family’s bread winner – her mother worked a small business to get their daily needs. This however, did not pull her ambitions back since falling in love with the game. “I didn’t have that time to play football at a younger age. The only time I was involved in football in my earlier years was in the periodic tournaments that are organized by politicians or such groups and I only went to watch people play. It was something that I admired and I sometimes had to sneak out to watch football, and being a game dominated by men, we were never given a chance to form the girls’ team. “My mum worked hard to ensure we had the basic needs like food and shelter so the toll on her didn’t give us the luxury of watching games. When we had time it was to help her with her chores. I would only play
soka.co.ke 37
STAR ON THE RISE
ELIZABETH KIOKO
While still representing St. John’s, Kioko would periodically be drafted in games during school breaks and it is at this point that Sarah Ogonyo, the Spedag FC team manager, and one of the well-known scouts in matters ladies football in the country, saw her potential and even tried to lure her to their camp.
Elizabeth Kioko (Jersey 7) is aided in adjusting her armband by an opponent during the National Secondary Schools games in Eldoret in 2018
football at primary school during games time and in the sports term which came early in the year.
team mates. They keenly listened to her and she orchestrated almost every attacking move.
“The rest of the time was spent with mum and my siblings working on getting that next meal. It was a humble upbringing and I can say it developed in me the person I am today,” Kioko opines.
“It is rare that you find a talented individual ready to help her team mates while at the same time fighting for individual accolades.
Despite her heroics in 2017 in Nyeri, those who had watched Kioko before believed she had something special in her even during her early days at primary school. At the showpiece, which they exited at the group stage, Kioko says she was contacted by various agents and coaches from the national team, Harambee Starlets but nothing came out of it. Assistant captain Having arrived at the school in Form Three and named the assistant captain immediately, Kioko made an undertaking to better her performance in her final year in school. Her coach believed she possessed leadership skills even before convincing her to switch to the team. “She knows what to do and where to do it,” Amboko states. “Even before we had her you could pick it from her 38 soka.co.ke
Happy girl “She is one happy girl when everyone performs and I think she prioritizes on her team mates more than herself. She is a born leader and that’s why
“I had been hearing of her for some time but wasn’t able to see her since our schedules rarely matched. She would be playing in Mombasa when I was in Nairobi and when I arrived there she was already back in school. Everyone was raving about her in the County and I wanted to see for myself. “I think my first encounter with her was in some tournament down in Kilifi and I could see why many termed her special. She doesn’t have the body you would expect in a footballer but her moves ticked all my boxes. We tried to lure her into our side then but apparently she didn’t want to leave Olympic (Mombasa). She is one player I would like in my camp any day and I know under proper guidance she will make a name for herself in the coming years,” Ogonyo notes.
She is one happy girl when everyone performs and I think she prioritizes on her team mates more than herself. She is a born leader. when our captain finished school last year, she automatically slotted in. I would have made her the captain if we started with her at the school,” Amboko adds. Immediately after finishing her primary school studies, Kioko had a pre contract with Kenya Women Premier League (KWPL) side Mombasa Olympic, who she would play for each time she was in her school breaks.
At the national school games in Eldoret, Kwale lost their first group game against the 2017 finalists Archbishop Njenga but Kioko kept her team in the showpiece in the second game with her scorcher in the 37th minute against defending champions Wiyeta, before chipping in with another brace and two assists in the last group game against Matuu, which they won 9-0. According to the soft spoken Kioko,
overcoming Wiyeta was greater than beating Njenga in the final. Having been drubbed by the same team the previous year, she described the revenge as sweet and one that will forever remain in her memory. “We had a different mentality this year from what we had in 2017. We knew Wiyeta were the toughest of the teams in our group but after falling to Njenga, some of my team mates almost lost hope. “I rallied them and everyone played her part. Beating Wiyeta fuelled our ambitions in the showpiece. We could beat anyone and I feel the match helped us win the showpiece. I can now proudly say that I captained a team to a national title. It is something that will forever stick with me,” Kioko says. Next on her roster is the East Africa Secondary Schools Games, a platform that has also elevated some of the best young talents in the region.
For Kioko, this is another opportunity to leave a mark, and despite her feeling that it will be even a tougher challenge, Wiyeta’s sojourn in the same showpiece last year gives them hope that nothing is ever too far for their reach. “No one actually gave us a chance when we were heading to Eldoret but I can tell you that football
Overcoming Wiyeta was greater than beating Archbishop Njenga in the final has changed big time. There are no underdogs in the game and by reaching this stage, we know we are meeting the best teams from different countries. It is a different ball game, they do not know much about us and we don’t know much about them and that plays to everyone’s advantage.
Our teamwork will take us places and I foresee us doing well in the tournament. National team On representing the national team, Kioko who currently represents the Kwale County Ladies team says emphasis hasn’t been put on grassroots football as it should, which she feels is derailing the progress of the game. The ladies, she says, deserve a chance to get the much needed exposure as their male counterparts and this denies many the chance of featuring forr the national team and making it professionally. “There is a lot of talent in this country and I feel the Federation should find a way of tapping on this. The ladies are not being taken care of like their male counterparts and that makes it hard for us to make it. For example, you will rarely find video clips of our games, as opposed to boys’ and there is no way you can convince someone who is abroad that you are a player when
Kioko (left) is spruced up by a team mate during a past game
soka.co.ke 39
STAR ON THE RISE
ELIZABETH KIOKO
he or she hasn’t seen your clips,” she says.
Name:
Elizabeth Katungwa Kioko
D.O.B:
27 May 1999
The player who is a fan of English giants Manchester United says she derives a lot from Cristiano Ronaldo and Harambee Starlets forward Esse Akida and hopes she can make it professionally in her career.
Teams:
2015- Kwale County Ladies FC
Ronaldo fan “I am a Manchester United fan and Cristiano Ronaldo is the player I look up to. I learn a lot from him every day and try to emulate that in my game. “He is a hard worker too and that is what you need as a player. Locally, I am a big admirer of Esse Akida. She has everything in her game and since she comes from this area she is one person I have looked up to since I started my football journey. I talk too to Doreen Nabwire on things I should do to make it in football and she gives me just that. She has also been helpful in my journey and it sad that she no longer plays. I’d have liked to play alongside her because I learn a lot from her,” she says. The beautiful game has given Kioko a route to the top; what matters most, is making it in the end. So while Elizabeth Kioko doesn’t have the country talking about her just yet, there’s indication it won’t be long. For the girl from Kwale, all she wants is to play football until she can’t move anymore.
Follow Zachary Oguda on Twitter: @zaxoguda
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2013-2015 - Mombasa Olympic Schools St. John’s Girls Kwale Girls Favourite Team:
Manchester United
Favourite Players:
Cristiano Ronaldo/Esse Akida
soka.co.ke 41
YOUTH FOOTBALL
HESBON NYABINGE
Hesbon Nyabinge: Linking the Grassroots to the National Team By Fabian Odhiambo
U
nlike many who go into coaching early, Hesbon Nyabinge did not suffer any career threatening injury in his playing days while out at Western Stima in 2008. He simply hung boots in a bid to stir up things a little.
Having only featured professionally for five years in stints with Nzoia Sugar FC, Chemelil Sugar FC and Western Stima FC, the current Kenya U20 assistant coach felt there was some kind of change only he could effect. But he first had to go through the coaching courses and be licensed. Nyabinge, former a captain of the prestigious Kakamega High School’s Green Commandos in his final year, was obviously full of hope that only success awaited him post-school. He could have been right, those before him at Green Commandos had gone ahead to excel in the Kenyan Premier League and even abroad – all products of the late Chris Makokha’s football philosophy. “Nzoia Sugar reaped from top footballing schools that year, signs that coaches had started having belief in teenagers. I was snapped up by the team but I was not alone.
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“From Thur Gem High School came Kevin Oluoch and Noah Abich while James Situma was roped in from nearby Sirakalu Secondary School. Geoffrey Kimani was another name Coach Evans Kadenge harvested from the Green Commandos,’’ Nyabinge starts off as he takes us into a journey of his brief but eyeopening playing career. It’s not uncommon to see top flight sides nowadays parade a string of youths for their league matches and still get impressive results. Some have in fact earned plaudits for consistency and the ability to bag awards when up against seasoned players. It hasn’t always been like this from some time ago and Coach Nyabinge tells us why. “I don’t know exactly how to put it but in my time, they were never interested in us as they are now with students who finish school. Playtime wasn’t guaranteed. One match you score a goal and the next you aren’t even in the match day squad. It was demoralizing and to worsen it, the experienced players didn’t help us cope with the conditions,’’ recalls Nyabinge. Frustrations did get the better of him at that early age and even moving from one club to another didn’t help
Hesbon Nyabinge gives the Western Stima U20 side a half time pep talk at Camp Toyoyo during the December 2016 KPL U20 tournament
him adapt. Same old story he says, but it soon got under his skin and he could not take it anymore. He had only played five years by this time, and helped Western Stima get into the Kenyan Premier League. It is difficult to point out one exact moment that Nyabinge decided he would get into coaching early, or be a coach at some point in his life at all. But he does remember his late Coach Makokha one day telling him that he would make a tactician if he pursued the path.
At the time a fully trained KNVB coach – a course he had taken under the patronage of Harambee Stars U23 coach Francis Kimanzi, Nyabinge was handed the Western Stima U20 team that would participate in the Kenyan Premier League youth tournament. He won it. “We beat Tusker 4-1 in the final. In the semi-final we had taken down Mathare United, a team with strong youth systems, and all the players I had at the time still play to date,” says Nyabinge.
Makokha’s word After finishing school, Nyabinge had taken it upon himself to help out his former school and it is here that the legendary Makokha breathed those words of life into him.
KPL clubs having youth teams is a gospel that has been preached for far too long now, and yet five years after that KPL U20 tournament, one can count on one hand the number of top flight sides that have fully functional youth teams.
In 2008, as a player cum coach, Nyabinge, alongside three other seasoned players, helped Western Stima avoid relegation in just their first year in the top flight.
The KPL tournament was just that, a tournament, and offered little in terms of engagement. Despite winning the tourney, not much was left for Nyabinge to do at the team as most of the players go back to school – not to mention the fact that even if they were to train- there was no league to play in.
A few years later, in 2013, he would be entrusted with the youth team at the club and what he did was unprecedented.
Luck however smiled at him when new coach Francis Baraza named him his assistant upon arrival at Western Stima’s senior side. He could smell progress in his coaching career even if gradual. Nyabinge describes his working relationship with Baraza as the best ever. He finally got to do things with someone they shared a vision. “Baraza believed in the youth. I believed in the youth, and the work we did together at Stima was a success as far as I’m concerned. I personally started with promoting a few young boys from the team that had won the U19 championship. “But it never stopped there. We went down to schools in our free time and hunted for fresh talent. These village tournaments, you name them, we were there and were hungry for success. We not only gave the teenagers a chance but also recommended a few to the national team. At the time we had built a great relationship with the national team coaches,” says Nyabinge. Even though Baraza would not be soka.co.ke 43
YOUTH FOOTBALL
HESBON NYABINGE
there a few years later when the youth they injected into the team helped the club to its highest ever finish, Nyabinge was around. Gabriel Andika was in goal, Vitalis Akumu filled up in any of the defensive roles, Maurice Ojwang was just starting to get playtime while Baron Oketch was having the season of his life in 2016. Kelvin Okoth had also won the U19 championship with Nyabinge and was in Coach Henry Omino’s squad that year. Built belief It was now clear what Nyabinge had yearned for, and what probably prompted him to sacrifice his own playing career for. This is a man who built his belief around youth football. One would say he is just beginning and as a young coach, hasn’t seen a lot in the footballing world. But here’s a man who even in his brief sojourns as coach, has been overseas too. Nyabinge did a brief stint with Champasak United in 2015, doubling up as the head of the Laos top flight side’s Academy. Homeboyz, West Kenya Kakamega Homeboyz and the now defunct West Kenya Sugar have also provided him with an opportunity to coach in the past. Currently Coach Stanley Okumbi’s assistant at the Kenya U20 national team, Nyabinge is at the helm of where all the effort below culminates. Finally, he can remedy the shortcomings of the Kenyan game from the top. All the work he did at the grassroots now comes into perspective as with the experience gained down under, he is charged with offering solutions and recommendations where necessary. Kenya currently has fully functioning junior sides and he feels we should stick to the same no matter what. The challenges, he says, are always 44 soka.co.ke
Hesbon Nyabinge (right) with John Kamau while on national duty with the Kenya U20 team
there and do not change and that’s why it’s important to just trudge on. “We are getting it right with the age categories. You have to begin from somewhere. Keeping the records of each and every player used to be a challenge but now I can say we have them and always do follow up on the young players. Most of these players only get to play football when in school and do not have clubs at
football they were kept while still young. Other regions can ape this and provide our U13 and U16’s with the necessary game time,” he adds. As with youth football, succession is always a challenge. Players spring from the youth sides, shine and then just as quickly as they had shown up, disappear. “This is what having age categories helps with. For instance right now
In my time, they were never interested in us as they are now with students who finish school. Playtime wasn’t guaranteed - Nyabinge home and that’s why follow up is necessary,” offers Nyabinge. He however points out that there are some regions that have gotten round that stumbling block and have youth leagues going on all year round. “I like what Kisumu is doing with the Kisumu Youth Football Association. You can see the number of premier league players from the region and it boils down to how engaged with
Coach Francis Kimanzi has already spotted a quite a number of players from the U20 unit that he intends to promote to the U23 side. Likewise, myself and Coach Okumbi have had our eyes on the U17 side that recently participated in the AFCON U17 Qualifiers in Tanzania and there is a lot of promise that we can do with in a few years to come,” Nyabinge reveals.
CURRENT ISSUES
CURRENT ISSUES
“You know we have never fully replaced Oliech (Dennis),” Nyabinge says wryly. “I point that one to succession. Had we pointed out a few strikers at an early age and dedicated ourselves to their betterment, right now we would have transitioned from the Oliech era smoothly,” he adds. There are two main philosophies that throng the Kenyan football scene but coach Nyabinge has been keen to notice that it is the KNVB application that many local coaches tend to use.
Hesbon Nyabinge issues insructions during a past Kenya U20 national team training session
Playtime “When they finish school I think agents need to play a big role at this point. Help players sign contracts that allow them to get enough playtime because form is a big problem with Kenyan footballers. There is no point of signing a longterm deal when you don’t play for your club and then comes a time when, say, the Kenya U20 team needs you. Most of our U20’s are not in starting 11’s in their respective clubs and that needs to change,” he laments. Given that most of the players are students first before they are players, the coach has devised a way of always keeping tabs on them when not in camp, and also keep their parents interested in their children’s talent. “We have records of each and every player from where they stay, school and the phone numbers. There are no national leagues for such junior categories and when not in the national team camp, it is important to keep them fit. So we communicate with the parents just to follow up. This way, we can never lose a good player. In the past, one showed up in the national U17 team and maybe that was the last time you would see them. We have brought an end to that,” adds a very positive Nyabinge.
Challenges All this effort does comes with challenges, he admits. The first and most common being that most of the young players do not have clubs at
All the work he did at the grassroots now comes into perspective as with the experience gained down under, he is charged with offering solutions and recommendations home and only get to play serious football when in school. Parents’ firm belief that only a good education will secure their children’s lives also comes up as a hindrance. It’s a tradition that Nyabinge wishes could end, especially in the 21st century when footballers earn a decent salary from the game. The challenge of succession which they are battling hard to numb has cost Kenya many stars, some of whom the country will never hear about because they were simply never discovered, or developed for that matter.
The Football Kenya Federation (FKF)’s idea of having a German Technical Director also added a little directness and efficiency to the rhythm. Asked which one he prefers as a coach, his response is not as subtle. Systems don’t play “You know systems do not play at the end of the day, players do. The most important thing is to have adaptable players. If you begin with a 4-3-3 Dutch style when you have the ball it is obviously helpful to have players who can adapt and drop back into German 4-4-2 when not in possession,” says Nyabinge, a KNVB trained Coach. Peers still playing James Situma still plays, like ever before, for Mathare United. Kevin Oluoch may be receding in terms of playtime but still is on the Sony Sugar roster. There’s a case that Hesbon Nyabinge should be playing by now because those are his peers. But he cut short his own love for the game to stand on the touchline. Maybe there are a few things he saw at the time that we had not. In his ten years a coach, there’s no case that when it comes to youth football, he has achieved.
Follow Fabian Odhiambo on Twitter: @Fabian_Odhiambo
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BIG INTERVIEW
JOHN KAMAU
John Kamau John Kamau is known in local football circles for his work with the youth. He has been part of the national team youth set ups from U20 through to U23, won the inaugural Kenyan Premier League (KPL) title for U19 players with Thika United in 2011 and has overseen the infancy stage of the careers of players like Francis Kahata, Cliff Miheso and Michael Olunga among many others. By Peter Wainaina How did you get into coaching? First of all I feel honoured to be doing this, especially to be working with the stars of tomorrow. It is a dream come true for me. I started coaching while I was still playing for
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John Kamau (in blue) chats with Shaban Masika as they follow a past game at Camp Toyoyo, Nairobi
Thika United, this is back in 2007. During my free time I would coach small boys in the estates and try and give them just the basic knowledge of the game. But my first real coaching stint started with Chania Boys High School and later to Gituru Secondary School. These two stints helped build my confidence. You have also been a key figure in the Copa Coca Cola tournaments. How’s the experience? That is a tournament that has helped improve the levels of football in this country. Personally, it helped me in my coaching journey as back in 2009 I had the opportunity to travel to Pretoria South Africa for the continental U17 school games under Coach Yusuf Chippo. And the experience I went on to get there was invaluable. At Chania you worked with a young Francis Kahata? Yes, he was in Form One when I started working there and instantly you could tell that he was going to go places.
What is your take on how he has turned out to be? He has achieved a lot. He is a full international now and has claimed league titles with Gor Mahia. Though his tenure abroad did not work out as we had all hoped he has still managed to curve a niche for himself locally.
when we brought him on-loan from Tusker. He was young and at Thika we had developed a reputation of working with the young players so it was easy to bring him on board. He had the talent but was raw and needed fine tuning so to say.
What could have been the reason for his failures in Europe? His biggest undoing has been his body frame. Scouts tend to look for players who are big physically because the leagues in Europe are fast paced and very physical. During our time with him at Thika, together with our then Technical Director Steve Phiri we had several discussions on trying to build up his body mass. We tried to get him to 70kgs and above but we were unable to. The closest we got him was 65 and that is not ideal for a player especially playing in midfield.
It was hard to convince even the senior players at the team about his abilities and I remember having a sit down with my two captains at the time, Dennis Odhiambo and Wycliffe Opondo to convince them that Olunga was what we needed because at the time scoring goals was a big problem for us. A challenge with him was that he was still in school and so he missed some of the training sessions. But his attitude was and is what you would want from a player and it is not a surprise that he has reached where he is.
Another big name that you have worked with during his early stages in football is Michael Olunga. Did you ever foresee that he would become the star that he is today? Olunga was surplus to requirements
During that one season he played at Thika, he finished as top scorer for the club with nine goals. Proving that you were right in recruiting him. But he did not stay with the club and left to join Gor Mahia. Was
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THE BIG INTERVIEW
JOHN KAMAU
it difficult to accept after you had given him the platform? No not at all. In fact I was the one who urged him to join Gor Mahia. After his goal scoring form that season, Tusker wanted him back and he came to ask for my advice on it. I told him he needed a bigger challenge. No player at Tusker had finished with more goals than him that season. At Gor the demands were high and with the club playing continental football he would get much needed exposure. The move worked out for the better and I am proud to have played a part in shaping the career of a future Kenyan football legend. Olunga has been taunted as the heir to Dennis Oliech’s throne. What are your sentiments on this, is it a valid comparison? Comparing the two is always going to be a discussion that will crop up now and then. They are two strikers who have played for their country and made a mark abroad. Olunga has the capabilities of matching Oliech but it is still early to compare them. There is a shortage of strikers and goalkeepers in the country. We tend to focus more on midfield players and wingers. Why is this so? I do agree that we have not produced as many strikers and goalkeepers but that is more coincidence as much as anything. This country is not short of talent, the pool is rich and it just has to be tapped. As a coach you burst into the limelight in 2011 after leading the Thika United U19 team to the inaugural Kenyan Premier League (KPL) U19 title. Playing a unique brand of football and as well bringing up young talents that have now made a mark for a plethora of clubs in the topflight. Could this be your biggest achievement as a coach? Yes, it is my biggest achievement because that tournament got me through the door to achieve other
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things. Being successful at what you love doing is the ultimate form of accomplishment and throughout my 10 or so years as a coach, I have been able to do that. The current football federation (FKF) is laying down structures for youth development. For the first time we have age group teams from U13 to U23. As a coach, how long do you feel it will take before we can see the effects of this at the senior team level? First of I would like acknowledge the kind of work that the federation is doing. We have been devoid of such structures for a very long time and I would like to urge Kenyans to support these initiatives. Sadly, the current office might not be in power when the effects of this conveyor belt of talents gets into full effect but the foundation has been set and if everything runs smoothly then our country’s dream of becoming a continental powerhouse and beyond will come to pass. Putting a time frame on it is the last thing that should be on people’s minds because for years youth football has been neglected in this country but finally it is getting the attention that it so rightly deserves. School games have been the go to source for clubs and the national team as well in trying to recruit new talents. If the age structure system comes to full effect, will it be the end of the school games in terms of being a scout’s ultimate destination? No, school games have been the backbone of our football history. I cannot name one single player, past and present that did not have his start at the annual school games. They will always play that role. But one thing I urge the coaches and head masters of these schools is to put structures so that issues of age cheating can cease to be. Because that has been one of the biggest hindrances of our football.
You have mentioned age cheating which has been a big issue in the country. Recently, the U17 team that was in Tanzania for the CECAFA region AFCON U17 qualifiers was rocked by this vice. Could you speak on this menace? Age cheating has been a problem and as coaches there is little you can do to ascertain the correct age of a player. I have faced such hindrances in my tenure with the U20 team, especially in 2016 when we played in Sudan. The only way to stop this should be a joint effort and should not be left to the federation alone. I repeat again, schools should be at the forefront in making sure that players don’t cheat. This business of allowing students who have already cleared school to come back and play is the root cause of this menace and should be condemned by everyone who loves football.
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THE BIG INTERVIEW
JOHN KAMAU
John Kamau (second left) going through some of the team’s tactics with his technical bench
You are a holder of a CAF A coaching license as well as a UEFA C. With these credentials you should be coaching a team in continental championships but you have coached only one team in the topflight and spent the last several years in the second tier. Why is this? My role with the national teams is very demanding and trying to juggle that with being the coach of a topflight club is very challenging. It is not easy being away at a topflight club for two or three weeks while handling the national team but in the NSL that is possible and that is why I have maintained here. It is not that I am afraid of the challenge but it is a sacrifice I have made so as to impart my knowledge to the young kids. You briefly had a tenure with the Women’s team Harambee Starlets. How was the experience? Invaluable experience is what I got but I would not like to speak much about women’s football because I have been away from it for a while. What I can say is that there have been tremendous strides made in recent years and you never know, as a country, we can grace the world stage through women’s football first.
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It should be held in high regard as the men’s game and I would like to take this opportunity to say kudos to Starlets head coach David Ouma for what he has achieved thus far with that team. You have been nicknamed the Kenyan Pep Guardiola for your insistence on “philosophy” and “style of play”. Is he your major influence as a coach? (Chuckles) Yes he is. I try to mold myself in the game like him but as well as other coaches, like Jurgen Klopp, Diego Simeone and Pitso Mosimane. But my first influence is Francis Kimanzi who I have had the privilege of working with. We both come from the Dutch KNVB system and I can say he is the best coach this country has produced.
Follow Peter Wainaina on Twitter: @naina_naish
LEGEND OF THE GAME
FRANCIS ONYISO
FRANCIS ONYISO LEGEND OF THE GAME
By Zachary Oguda
A soft spoken, tried and tested performer, Francis Onyiso bears the tale of a diligent soldier whose life is dedicated to not only defending the country, but also stopping the shots
Fact File Full Name Date of Birth
Francis Onyiso 16/11/ 1972
Club Maroon Comandoes NHIF Carnivore FC Estate Tornadoes Green Rovers Ulinzi Stars
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LEGEND OF THE GAME
FRANCIS ONYISO
I
n the kick-abouts in the late 90’s and the early millennium, every football aware kid in Kenya, tasked with the duty of manning the goalposts had to automatically take the name Onyiso and any other name that did not come close to this would brand your team a losing a tag even before a ball was kicked.
Yet for all his prowess, the legendary keeper did it mostly for passion. “Football has totally changed. During our time we did not have the kind of
He is the keeper with most caps (76) for the Kenya national team and a respected goalkeeping coach. But he is a worried man; with a faraway stare, Onyiso says for all the
Onyiso could leap. He could grow a few inches on the pitch to gather that high ball and leave all in awe.
From brands like Home Cup to football posters, the name Onyiso was a mandatory feature that couldn’t miss with many of the kids brought up prior to the 2004 African Cup of Nations that was held in Tunisia, growing thinking that the name Onyiso was a synonym for a great goalkeeper. Terrifying. Fighter. No nonsense. Leader. Legend. Endless adjectives, analogies and appellations have been summoned by fellow professionals in sincere yet scant attempts to describe exactly what Francis Onyiso was at his prime, and the way he kept strikers at bay, and the unique qualities he possessed between the sticks.
money the current players enjoy and it was basically for passion,” he says as he starts us off. “The pressure of being emulated by the young and the old wasn’t something I took lightly. I went to the field of play knowing that there were people looking up to me and I couldn’t fail them. It was the motivation required to push me.”
importance goalkeeping has in the game of football, it is not getting the attention it deserves from the football authorities, and even clubs. Widening gap He feels the gap between the young keepers and the old is widening which he says will come to bite in future. “Im worried for the goalkeepers
No toppling Onyiso Those comparisons seem to have been the fuel that ignited Onyiso’s flare every time he took to the field; the soft spoken father of five is a tad shorter for the qualities today’s coaches would want in a goalkeeper, but appearances can be deceiving; Onyiso could leap. He could grow a few inches on the pitch to gather that high ball and leave all in awe. As a goalkeeper, it was a more or less a curse being born at the same time as Onyiso, because there was no toppling him from the number one position. At his prime, Onyiso featured regularly for the Kenya national team, Harambee Stars; by today’s standards, he’d have attracted some of the big offers around.
Francis Onyiso currently works as the goalkeeping coach at Ulinzi Stars. He is the most capped goalkeeper in Kenya’s history
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INTERNATIONAL GAMES SPAN
Teams played against Home
Away
Tanzania
2
5
Cape Verde
1
1
Trinidad & Tobago
1
Mauritania
1
1
Togo
1
1
DR Congo
1
1
Zambia
3
2
Madagascar
1
1
Namibia
1
Guinea
1
1
Cameroon
1
1
Gabon
1
1
Nigeria
1
Malawi
2
Neutral ground
2 2
Rwanda
5
1
Uganda
2
3
Eritrea
1
1
Libya
2
Iraq
1
Ghana
1
Jordan
1
Egypt
1
Ethiopia
1
Oman
1
Burkina Faso
1
Nigeria
2
Coach
First Cap
10Nov-96
Guinea vs Kenya - 1998 World Cup qualifier
du 28 septembre Stadium, Conakry
Reinhardt Fabish
Last Cap
8-Oct05
Malawi vs Kenya - 2006 AFCON/ World Cup qualifier
Kamuzu Stadium, Blantyre, Malawi
Mohammed Kheri
Starts
As sub
Total
Home games
16
2
18
Away games
38
2
40
Neutral ground
15
0
15
Total
73
COACHES PLAYED UNDER
1
Senegal
1
Mali
1
South Africa
1
Kuwait
1
Algeria
1
Zanzibar
1 40
Stadium
BREAKDOWN OF NATIONAL TEAM GAMES
4
18
Game
1
Sudan
Total
Date
Name
Country
Games
Reinhardt Fabisch
Germany
23
Jacob Mulee
Kenya
28
Twahir Muhidin
Kenya
5
Abdul Majid
Uganda
1
Mohammed Kheri
Kenya
1
Christian Chukwu
Nigeria
15
Total
73
15
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LEGEND OF THE GAME
FRANCIS ONYISO
Francis Onyiso issues his opinion to Dunstan Nyaudo on the Ulinzi Stars technical bench
because I feel it is an area that is being ignored from the top level and up to our clubs. We have young talented keepers but those who are handling them still use the old methods of training. It is only recent that the new head coach at the national team (Sebastien Migne) came with his own keeper trainer; in the past we have been depending on talent alone and not proper training. “We need to evolve with the footballing world and equip the keeper handlers with the needed skills. You look at the coaching courses the federation is offering and most are on the basic things. We need to have trainings for the keeper coaches alone. “This can be seen clearly on how the department has fared in the national team. People like Oluoch (Boniface) and Matasi (Patrick) should be having serious young competitors. The notion that keepers get better with age is long gone that only applies here because we don’t have proper transition.
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“There is a huge gap between the keepers we have now and the upcoming keepers which if not looked into well will come to bite us in the near future,” Onyiso says.
Selected on merit Those were the days when only talent thrived and no matter which team you played for, Harambee Stars players were only selected on merit.
Onyiso’s footballing journey is long and trodden on rugged terrain. Some of the teams he featured for no
“You look at the players called into the national team fold these days and you wonder what’s going on. It’s no longer based on merit. Once a player is said to be playing in a foreign league he is handed an automatic call up, unlike during our days.
He is the keeper with most caps (76) for the Kenya national team and a respected goalkeeping coach longer make headlines, neither did they those days, but he outlines one crucial aspect to growth in football – selection by merit. That is one line you will not miss from any player who got the privilege to play in Reinhardt Fabisch’s teams.
“In our era players came from teams that I hadn’t even heard of before but you could see the talent. It gave everyone in the group a boost and good practice that encouraged those upcoming players who hadn’t gotten to feature for established teams. “Some players currently being handed national team call ups could not even have a sniff of my team if I was the national team head coach,” Onyiso, who also serves as an assistant coach at Ulinzi Stars, says.
He handles the goalkeeper training department at Ulinzi Stars and after working with Fabisch and Jacob Ghost Mulee, two of the most successful coaches in Kenya, Onyiso says he derived a lot from the duo, which has since helped him in management. Onyiso kept a hold of the number one jersey despite having top keepers including Duncan Ochieng, Mathews Ottomax, Willis Ochieng and many more for competition and this he says made him a better keeper. One of his coaches – Ghost – was also a keeper at his time, so needless to say, the legend had better influencers around him. “I was lucky to have played under both (Fabisch and Ghost). They more or less had the same philosophy because Ghost worked with the German style so when Fabisch left he was the best guy for the job. Both
insisted on discipline and hard work. They encouraged freedom among players and treated everyone equally but when it came to training you could think you were enemies; they meant business when it was business. Ghost impact “You have to give Ghost credit because after Fabisch left, he maintained almost everything his predecessor had, which is something you’ll rarely see in coaches today. He didn’t break the squad and instead added wisely and that is why I think we made it to the 2004 African Cup of Nations. One other influencer in Onyiso’s career was Ottomax. From the current AFC Leopards goalkeeping coach, Onyiso says he learnt a lot, and it is no surprise he ranks him really high. Among his mates who have already retired from active playing, he bills Ottomax as the
best at the time but among the ones still active, his pick is Gor Mahia’s Boniface Oluoch. “The competition is something I enjoyed and when Ottomax came to the scene I knew my days were numbered. He was this young keeper looking to prove himself and he kept me on my toes. When he was called upon to represent the country he did his best and gave it all just as any serious international would do. Qualities “I see some of his qualities in Boniface Oluoch who I consider the best keeper we have in the country now that Origi (Arnold) is no longer part of the national team. He makes mistakes, which happens once in a while for goalkeepers but that doesn’t wash away his qualities,” Onyiso opines. A reflection back to the days they
Onyiso (second left) gestures on the bench in a past Ulinzi Stars game
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LEGEND OF THE GAME
FRANCIS ONYISO
Onyiso follows proceedings from the bench during a past Ulinzi Stars match
played for the flag draws a bout of nostalgia from the legend and it comes out partly as a cry for his country, but also as a scathing attack. He is hurt at the level of dedication he sees in players getting called to the national team these days. Onyiso terms some of the call ups a mockery to the flag and wants to see more push and ambition from players, which he says is lacking, and the more reason we struggle as a nation. “We did not have the kind of money the current crop has yet I can authoritatively say there is no group that has given this country a sense of pride in the footballing world than we did. “At our time, the things that drove us would not move today’s players. In my career, I played for AFC Leopards and Bandari FC in the Moi
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Golden Cup just so I could shake the President’s hand; for us it was never about money but the passion to leave a mark. We knew what it meant to play for the flag. We knew we had a responsibility to millions of people and that rang in our minds every time we went to represent the nation. “We had young players in our team. The likes of Oliech (Dennis) were just being introduced in the team and they knew what was expected of them. He listened to his seniors, never rushed and did exactly what he was told by the likes of Mike Okoth who by then was a key figure in the team. I think that’s why he (Oliech) had the career he had. “The current young players should look beyond playing for money. Once you have the discipline and focus everything comes in place. Money is important everywhere but
it shouldn’t form the basis of your footballing career. Look at Wanyama (Victor); who tells you he doesn’t need money? But since he knows what a good career is, he’s decided to take the path he is taking. The passion too is lacking in some of these players. They think they have a right to be in the national team. With this mentality I can assure you that some of them won’t be here even in the next three years,” Onyiso says. Defender of the nation As a defender of the nation, it is ingrained him to defend anything local. Onyiso believes the notion that the Europeans can do a better job handling the national team, than the local coaches is a myth that has to be overcome. All the local coaches need is to have their employers’ trust and liberty to
do their work, he opines. “I still believe that hiring coaches just on the basis that they are from Europe isn’t the way to go. If we are to employ someone from outside the country, then we should go for the proven coaches. The (Claude) Le Roy’s the Herve Renards’ of this continent. “In the major tournaments these people don’t offer much as compared to their local counterparts. Some are just keen to get fat salaries and allowances. You saw it in the just concluded World Cup; England had one of their own taking their team to the semis after trying a string of foreigners and failing. “When you look at the Kenyan Premier League we only have two foreigners with the rest being our coaches. People like Mwalala (Bernard), Kimanzi to mention a few have been doing some good work.” His sentiments, however are subject to debate but another solution he suggests that with the craving for European coaches, maybe the federation should invest more in getting coaches to have UEFA badges. “The federation has done well with the basic coaching courses and if they built on that in future then it will be a plus for our country,” he notes. Improving national team On the integration to the national team and ways to improve the national team fortunes, Onyiso is categorical; improve the junior teams or forget about making improvement. “I have said it over and over again, we need to concentrate on the youth if we are to improve. Until recently we have been forming these junior teams when we are about to participate in tournaments. These means we will always hurry in calling for camps to select players and in the
process miss out on key aspects to growth in football. “Let’s have a junior league where each club is required to field a side, and I hope that is addressed with the CAF Club Licencing because I know it is one of the requirements. When you have a junior league and a head coach for the U20 and U17 teams, it makes work easier, and that’s the only way that we can ensure that talent doesn’t run dry in the national team,” Onyiso adds. An officer with the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and a member of the Ulinzi Stars Technical Bench, Onyiso is privileged to have a regular income, but he knows there are some of his mates who served the country diligently but lead miserable lives, and partly because they have not been accorded the recognition they deserve.
Mulinge and seeing him here is great. I have ambitions of coaching a team in the future but I’m still working on my badges and I feel the lessons at the club will prove vital towards that so I try to give my all now in my position just as I did during my playing days,” Onyiso concludes.
Follow Zachary Oguda on Twitter: @zaxoguda
He is the keeper with most caps (76) for the Kenya national team and a respected goalkeeping coach Appreciate former players “I want to encourage the Ministry of Sports in conjunction with the federation to remember those who served this country diligently at their prime. Not everyone can be lucky as I am to be handling a team and not many can be coaches but at least they can come up with programmes to help them transfer what they learnt in their playing days to the upcoming generation. “I am enjoying my time at Ulinzi and I can only get better. I have a supportive team here and that has made my work even easier. We played with the likes of (James)
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WOMEN MANNING THE GAME
Francis Onyiso is a respected coach and says he targets getting his badges then handle a top flight side
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WOMEN MANNING THE GAME
the game The game of football has for long been dominated by men but with civilization and the growing democratic space in football as an institution, women are taking up more and more roles traditionally thought to be men’s By Terry Ouko
O
ver the years in the civilised world, research has proven that gender diversity particularly in corporate settings, translates to increased productivity, greater innovation, better products, better decision-making, and higher employee retention as well as satisfaction. However, a sizeable majority fails to understand the importance of having the female gender in leadership. Women leaders tend to be more focused on development issues, are typically more inclusive and richer in ideas. It is however not easy for women to get into leadership positions especially in the areas dominated by their male counterparts, including the men’s leagues. The girl child has been empowered and is slowly taking her rightful place in the leadership spheres. Initially they would shy away from taking up these posts since some of them are elective, but now despite politics being a dirty game you will find them working to be heard and not just to be seen.
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WOMEN FOOTBALL
WOMEN MANNING THE GAME
Linda AmbiyoKariobangi Sharks C.E.O
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he Kenyan football scene, particularly the Kenyan Premier League (KPL), is slowly embracing leadership by women but while the number of women at the management level has risen over the years, it still is relatively low. Linda Ambiyo is one of the ladies in the highest pecking orders of KPL clubs. She is the current Chief Executive Officer of Kariobangi Sharks after filling in the position left by another lady, Quinter Odongo in 2017. In her position, she is central to the daily operations at the club as well as carving the long and short terms targets. With good structures at the club, she says the job does not pose any unsurmountable challenges. Her greater vision for Sharks remains to make the club financially viable and sustainable as a business, to ease the operations. With almost all sponsors and partners in football today seeking mutual benefits in engagements, she is also keen on branding the club towards that. Not just a sport “Football to me is not just a sport; I view it as a business. My focus is to find a way to get revenue for the club and make Sharks more profitable so that it becomes self-sustainable. I want to ensure that we stop depending on sources from outside for income generation. For sponsors to come on board we must create value and that is what am trying to do,” she explains. Besides the target to have the club break even, Ambiyo is keen on youth structures, she would love to see the club’s U13 to U20 sides produce more talent that will serve as feeder to the senior team in the coming years. These development programs, she says are tested and proven as the team has always depended on young players, whose talents are nurtured at the club.
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Sharks is also known for scouting players from the secondary school games and promoting their own youngsters to join the senior team. “I want Sharks to be a team that invests more in the youth. Currently, we have U13, U17, U20 teams, and the senior team. If you look at the big clubs like Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards, their youth teams are almost non-functional. I want us to be different and have solid youth teams who will be graduating to the senior side,” Ambiyo continues. Kariobangi Sharks’ debut season in the top tier saw the team finish third in the league and in the second season and beyond, they are upgrading the targets. The William Muluya coached side is eyeing at least the Sportpesa Shield title in 2018 and the target to win the league is not too far away, as they mobilize resources for a strong challenge as well as the demanding CAF competitions. Big plans “We played for five years in the National Super League and last season we had a good season, which many did not expect. We had some improvements and polished a bit after the season and our immediate plan is to do well and try to win the Shield. “We plan to win the league in five years’ time. In about three years we need to have monetized the club to a state where we will be able to participate comfortably in the CAF competitions,” she states. For most women, and greatly influenced by societal beliefs, juggling the professional and family sides of their lives make them shy away from top positions. The fear of the unknown holds them back. Ambiyo, 29, is a mother of one and a Business Developer at River Bank Solutions, but she insists that she has never had a challenge in juggling between football management,
work, and parenting, which she says is down to good planning. To an extent, the perceptions about women in leadership and participation in football activities influenced her desire to have an impact in the game. “I have been around football circles for a long time. There’s a time while still in campus, I went to watch AFC Leopards training at State House grounds, but I was told ladies are not allowed to watch the team’s training sessions. I was not impressed and wondered why,” she says. Financials In her position, Ambiyo also comes face to face with the difficult financial waters that clubs have to wade to make it in the premier league and she holds that the body with the mandate of running the top tier is not doing enough in terms of commercializing and making the league more marketable, which has left one of the region’s top leagues with very little value, not even after getting into a partnership with La Liga. “The teams are doing well but there are a few things that are not being done right. The managing bodies in football are not tapping into the potential clubs hold. “AFC Leopards, for exmple, are believed to have 6,000,000 members; these should be traced by having a database in place, because if the members are registered and contribute 100 shillings with an assurance of good returns, the team will automatically be selfsustainable. If merchandizing is also done well, they can raise a lot from it,” Ambiyo concludes.
Linda is central to the daily operations at the club as well as carving the long and short terms targets
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While in office I have always ensured that financial systems are in While in officethere I haveisalways ensured that place to ensure financial systems accountability - Boloare in place to ensure there is accountability - Bolo
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Sally Bolo-
Treasurer, Gor Mahia
I
n 2016, Sally Bolo beat Kennedy Ouma and two others in the Gor Mahia elections, taking over the Treasurer’s position at Kenya’s biggest club. She is now in her second year of management at the club.
however, comes with its challenges, even for the career banker whose expertise should be crucial in the role. A lot of mistrust and false accusation from club members is a factor she has had to endure.
Being an elective role, she admits it was a bit tough because she was up against men. Taking over as the Treasurer, settling in the job was easy since she is a banker (Human Resource Manager at SBM Bank) by profession and Chief Executive Officer Lordvick Aduda offered her a lot of support.
Most of the time you hear reports that money has been swindled but what people fail to understand how it’s expensive to run a club like Gor Mahia. This year we have had more matches and our expenditure surpasses what we raise - Bolo
Transparency and accountability The tough but soft-spoken Bolo promised transparency and accountability in handling the club’s finances and she says major steps towards that have been made and key to Gor Mahia’s good performance in the season has been the handling of finances. “I think elections were the toughest part because all the other contestants in the position were men, but I am glad I managed to win. I did not face any challenges in my operations when I took over since the club’s CEO was quite helpful. While in office I have always ensured that financial systems are in place to ensure there is accountability,” she says. To serve a big club like Gor Mahia,
She is however contented that she is doing a good job and working in tandem with the rest of the management team. Why football The question that probably lingers in the minds of many, is why football? Bolo an alumni of Kadika Girls High School in Migori County, has always
been passionate about sports and was the school captain back then for four years. Her leadership skills did not stop there, when she joined Maseno University to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resource Management, she at some point served her term as the Student’s Union Vice Chairperson. What it takes Now a holder of a Masters’ Degree in Business Administration, Bolo believes she has what it takes to hold such an office at Gor Mahia, with the wealth of experience she bears. “Most of the time you hear reports that money has been swindled but what people fail to understand how it’s expensive to run a club like Gor Mahia. This year we have had more matches and our expenditure surpasses what we raise,” she explains. Unshaken Dealing with money comes with allegations but Bolo is not shaken and urges women out there to fight for their positions rather than making them a preserve of a few people. She advocates for a level playing field for anyone who is up to the challenge. In any job, there will always be obstacles and she is braced for any that will come her way as she looks to play a lead role in aiding Gor Mahia break even.
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WOMEN MANNING THE GAME
Timinah Mnyasi-Nzoia Sugar AssistanT treasurer
L
ike Sally Bolo, Timinah Mnyasi is responsible for the finances at another KPL club, Nzoia Sugar FC. She holds the position of Assistant Treasurer at the Bungoma based side and mainly her duty is inclined towards the medical and welfare aspects at the club. “Players’ comfort is a key aspect for success at a club and by addressing their welfare, we get to have a conducive work environment. My focus is mainly on that and this is where my performance will be gauged in 2021 when we go to elections,” she says. For Mnyasi, the toughest challenge was the fact that Nzoia Sugar has hardly had any woman leader in the previous regimes. She vied for the position at the age of 27 which was relatively a tender age compared to her competitors for the same post. Her will to succeed pushed her and since taking up the role, things have been different. She is respected just like other leaders by virtue of the office she holds. Equal rights “It has not been easy but as you know in this day and age, men and women have equal rights. At Nzoia Sugar I was like the first woman to go against men. The entry was the biggest challenge as some men perceive women as lesser beings, but I fought for my place and now I am given an equal chance and respected just like the others. This is a position that cannot be ignored because money is at the centre of everything, and so I get support from all corners to ensure there is smooth operation,” she states. The main setback however comes when the team doesn’t perform well,
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as at that point the fans turn hostile on the management. Challenges Being a woman in a community that has low beliefs on women, she at times has to shoulder blame for the team’s predicaments, while others still wonder how she juggles between family and football leadership. “The only challenge has been whenever the team is underperforming; the fans point the accusing finger and nobody feels you are doing things the right way. Some end up making claims like ‘this lady is messing up our team’. Others start questioning why I leave my family and accompany the team on trips,” she remarks. When all is said and done, Mnyasi
Players’ comfort is a key aspect for success at a club - Timinah knows that she needs to grow professionally and sees the position as a stepping stone careerwise. In the role, she believes her skills are continually sharpened and bigger avenues will open for her in future. “My main objective is career growth because am still young. The position is building me professionally and even if go out there I will have this in my profile. I have colleagues helping me sharpen my managerial and leadership skills, so that in future I can be able to fit in any setting,” she adds. Her word of counsel to the
women who are willing to venture in football leadership is to listen to their hearts. Her declaration to vie for the position was not well taken by fellow women; she was advised against the move. “I was told it was not going to be easy, but if you clearly understand what you want, and you are principled you will make it. The society has finally accepted women’s leadership qualities so it’s about principles and virtues,” she advised.
Esther WanjikuDriver Posta Rangers
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lightly over a decade ago various occupations were still defined for the male or female. These included mostly low level and middle-level jobs; for instance a big number of men were found in construction and engineering while women mostly took up care and office jobs. However, in the higher ranks, men and women are represented equally. Though the pattern has had very slight changes, notable observations have been made with more women taking up tasks that would otherwise be considered “manly” especially in the traditional African setting. Most unique position Such is the case of Esther Wanjiku, who holds the most unique position as compared to other women in management. She is the driver at Posta Rangers FC and also the only female driver in the Kenyan Premier League at large. She brands the Posta Rangers job the best and most interesting job she has ever had. What also makes her job quite interesting is the level of respect that she derives from the players. She states that starting off was the most difficult part of her career, as women drivers are rare especially for football clubs.
“It has been a good experience here; I interact freely with the players and they really respect me. At the start, it was a challenge because it is rare to find a woman driver, especially for these Kenyan Premier League clubs. Now it is much easier because people are used to seeing me do it. “The other challenge earlier on was dealing with the team’s fans
At the start, it was a challenge because it is rare to find women drivers, especially for these Kenyan Premier League clubs - Wanjiku whenever we lost but nowadays the case is different. The fans cheer me and call me ‘Mama! Mama!’ when they see me,” she says.
footballers. Watching the team has made me grasp a lot of football knowledge. “Besides that, I can say I have visited most parts of this country. I always enjoy working with Rangers, in fact, I consider this the best workplace compared to other places” she continues. Wanjiku has now worked at Posta Rangers for three years and says there is no need of classifying jobs for men or women. She calls on ladies to be more aggressive and take up jobs even in areas men dominate. “The days where people used to classify jobs are over. We are all equal and they should be taking up jobs without fearing that it is meant for men only. They should also love their jobs just like I do, and should not fear taking up any job. “If we want gender equality, we must earn it and not just sit back and talk about it. It is time to act,” she states.
The job has enabled her interact with people from all walks of life and learn a lot about football, experiences she holds dear. “I have learnt a lot in the period I have been working with the young Follow Terry Ouko on Twitter: @Terry_Ouko
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WILLIAM OBWAKA
THE MANY HATS OF DR. WILLIAM OBWAKA ON LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL
The story of Gor Mahia legend William Obwaka is one of discipline, vision and a constant need to keep testing one’s full limits. By Peter Wainaina
F
ootball in the country has now become a lucrative way of making ends meet, there is money to be made for the clubs, the officials and the players. It is a fulltime career for the players especially, and they don’t have to juggle two or three jobs to sustain themselves and their families like years past. Players are now easily making five figure salaries while playing for clubs locally. A player coming to training in his own car is not a rare occurrence now and playing abroad has become the norm. Harambee Stars can boast of a plethora of talented players based outside our borders either in the continent, Europe or Asia and the
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money to be made there is enough to make one inspired. Michael Olunga Take for example Kenyan striker Michael Olunga who currently plies his trade in the Japanese topflight after featuring for clubs in China, Sweden and Spain. Olunga, an engineering student, put aside his geospatial engineering aspirations to pursue a career in football and is now one of the best earning footballers this country has ever produced. This though could not have happened 15, 20, 30 years ago. A player shunning a white collar job/career to play football was unheard of. It was the complete contrast, hanging
Dr. William Obwaka and his wife Rev. Dr. Emily Obwaka
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WILLIAM OBWAKA
boots for the classroom whether here or abroad was the everyday occurrence. Players like Vincent Kwarula, George Nyangi Odembo, Nahashon Lule Oluoch and Sammy Kempes Owino just to name a few, quit football to pursue tertiary education and later took career paths aligned to what they had studied. One player who trudged along this path and is our focus for Life After Football is Gor Mahia legend William Obwaka who played for the club during the 1980’s, the country’s most successful and entertaining period of the beautiful game, and quit right at the height of his powers and that of the Green Army to pursue medicine in university and is now a practicing gynecologist with more than 20 years’ experience. Early memories Obwaka was a lethal striker in his heyday and those who saw him play can attest to that. Speed and the ability to play with both feet made him a darling of the K’Ogalo faithful when he joined the club from Hakati Sportiff in 1984. Born and raised in Ziwani estate in the outskirts of the Nairobi CBD, Obwaka was the eighth in a family of 10, seven boys and three girls and only him and his elder brother, the late Enock Obwaka played football at topflight level. For him, just like any other player, the passion for the game started at a very young age while still in primary school at Starehe Boys Centre, a school where he would take both his primary and secondary studies and often jokes that he “was part of the furniture” at the famed institution which has for years produced some of the best minds from this side of the Sahara. “Football has been part of me since a very young age,” Obwaka starts
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Gor Mahia in 1985 at the Mombasa Municipal Stadium before facing Mombasa Wanderers. William Obwaka is on the front row, first from the left.
off our interview. “Playing bare feet on a dirty stony surface with a ball woven out of polythene bags, torn clothes and whatever else you could assemble are my first memories of my football journey.” Humble starts That definitely strikes a chord as almost every footballer in the African
Players are now easily making five figure coming to training in his own car is not a rare occurrence now and playing abroad has become the salaries while playing for clubs locally. A player norm continent, started at a similar point. “Ziwani residents were and still are known for their love of the game. It is the same with the other estates around it and there is no way as a small child you can escape it. You will play the game whether you like it or not. “I remember we used to have a small gang or team if you could call it that, of kids from the estate and we would
roam almost every neighborhood with our paper ball looking for teams to play against.” It was something they used to do during the holidays and it would get them in serious trouble when they returned home, as most of the time it was after dark. But little did Obwaka know that it would harness a passion in him for the world’s game. During his teenage years when in high school and after, and before joining the University of Nairobi after spending 13 years at Starehe, Obwaka would play regularly for Umeme B, a squad made up of young footballers looking to break into the senior team of Umeme FC. He would break into that squad and featured sparingly as he juggled his passion for the game and his studies, this he says brought about discipline which laid the foundation for his life after football. Obwaka would join the University of Nairobi in 1981 and spent the next six years at the institution. Studying medicine at the time normally took five years but due to the attempted coup in 1982, students at the time were forced to suspend their studies by almost a full year. During his early years in university, Obwaka played for the college team nicknamed the Red Brigades as well as for Uthiru Sportiff, a small team
based in Uthiru town. He and Enock played there together before the latter, moved to Gor Mahia in 1982. He (William) would not stay there (Uthiru) long after that as his goal scoring prowess had caught the eye of the late coach Jonathan Niva who was then at Hakati FC.
played alongside other greats like James Jacaranda Ouma, Maxwell Ouma, Stanley Ofula and Moses Mulamba. But the club was struggling and almost suffered relegation at the end of 1983. Leopards’ loss, Gor’s gain The close shave at relegation marked the end of his time with
Obwaka would play regularly for Umeme B, a squad made up of young footballers looking to break into the senior team of Umeme FC looking to break into the senior team of Umeme FC Niva recruited him to try and bring back the glory to the club after several of the team’s high profile players like Peter Bassanga Otieno, Tom Olaba, and Sammy Jogoo Onyango had left for greener pastures. “My elder brother Enock used to live in Uthiru and he had a friend who had a small team called Uthiru Sportiff and sometimes I would play for them whenever I was not playing for the university one. This was our launching pad as it was through our performances for that team that we got the chance to play in the topflight,” Doc, as he is commonly referred to now, says. He spent two years at Hakati and
the club as he left for pastures new. But before he joined Gor Mahia he had trials with AFC Leopards under then Ugandan coach Robert Kiberu. But Leopards were not convinced with his qualities and their indecision became Gor Mahia’s gain as it is with K’Ogalo that the now father of four would curve his name into Kenyan football history. “I left Hakati because we were almost suffering the drop. I could not go down to playing lower tier football after I had made it to the topflight. “That was the reason why I left. Most people don’t know this but before I joined Gor, I had opted to go to Leopards first because there had been a lot of controversy generated
William Obwaka with Ben Breakdance Oloo after a game
when Enock joined them because we are Luhyas. I wanted to redeem our name and that is why I went for trials there. Too skinny for Leopards “Unfortunately or fortunately, however you’d want to put it, I wasn’t selected because of my small frame at the time. I was too skinny and coach Kiberu though impressed by my skill set, told me that this was the reason I could not play for his team. He told me that I would have to wait a year to be considered,that I could not do, so I went to Gor and the rest is history.” He joined Gor in ’84 and won the league title in his first year with the team. The highlight of his tenure though would come one year later in 1985 during the CECEFA Club tournament in Khartoum, Sudan where he scored a brace in the final to claim Gor’s fifth and only regional title to date, in a 2-0 win over the same Leopards team that had rejected him only two years earlier. A fringe player before that final, Obwaka’s chance to take centre stage came fortuitously after six senior players namely; Abbey Nassur, Abbas Magongo, Bassanga, Abdallah Shebe, George Fundi Onyango and George Solo Otieno alongside head coach Len Julians had received two year bans each from continental football after
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The Obwaka family. Emily with her four daughters
their part in a brawl in an African Cup Winners Cup tie against Egyptian side Zamalek in 1984 that resulted in the center referee suffering bodily harm after awarding a penalty against Gor. This setback was a blessing in disguise as it made Obwaka, alongside other young players like George Nyangi Odembo (who would later become his brother-in-law)
and Swaleh Oswayo make names for themselves at the club as they stepped up to fill that void.
for his internship and stayed there for two years, one as an intern and one as a general practitioner.
That Sudan final was redemption for him but at the same time a sort of déjà vu as only three months before that, he had netted a brace in another all Kenyan final, as his Nairobi University side claimed the East African University Games title in Tanzania over rivals Kenyatta University.
It took considerable sacrifice to attain his degrees while at the same time maneuver through the rigors of playing for such a demanding club like Gor. Sometimes he used to carry with him his school work whenever the team travelled away for matches so that he could not lag behind.
“I consider the goals against Leopards in ’85 my biggest in my football life,” says the man who claimed seven major titles including the 1987 Mandela Cup during his eight or so year stay with the team.
Football and studies “Playing football and juggling that with my studies at such an early age was not easy. I became more disciplined during this period because I knew what I wanted. Football at the time was seen as a pastime and it did not pay as well as it does today.
School and play Amid all the success it is easy to forget that Obwaka was still pursuing his studies and graduated in mid ’87 with a Bachelor’s in Medicine and a Bachelor’s in Surgery from UoN. He was posted in Mombasa at the Coast General Hospital
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Players now cannot sacrifice as we did then because we only earned pocket change. “Some of my lecturers, who were die hard Gor fans helped me in going through this period and whenever I had a problem with understanding certain topics they were there to help as they did not want my school work
to affect my performances on the pitch and vice versa,” he says with a chuckle. A lot was happening in his life during this period and soon, football had to take a back seat. His medical career had finally began to take shape and elsewhere, his relationship with Emily Njoki was heading down the aisle. Meeting Emily Obwaka and Emily joined the University of Nairobi together in ’81 and it took three years for this once swift lethal striker to make a move. “She was doing dentistry so I usually got to see her around school. But it took like three years for me to finally see her for who she was,” he says about the one who would become his life partner, joking also in the interview that it took him “three years for the scales to finally fall off his eyes”. After four years of courtship, the two would wed on the 11th of December, 1987, the same year that Gor were claiming an unprecedented continental crown to stamp their name among Africa’s greats. The wedding had initially been planned for the 5th, which was on the same day that Gor were playing the return leg of the final against Tunisian side Esperance and was postponed by a week so as to make it possible for his teammates to attend. He did not feature in the latter stages of that cup success but did chip in with a few appearances and goals during the preliminary rounds. After returning from Mombasa, Obwaka, then a government employee, would work in Westlands as well as the Pumwani Maternity Hospital while at the same time pursuing a Masters in gynecology which he attained in 1994 after three years of study.
During this time his tenure at Gor was coming to an end and he was not playing as regularly as he used to. He played his last game for the side in 1992. After specializing in gynecology, Dr. Obwaka joined the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) where he worked for seven years between 1995 and 2002 rising through the ranks from a
He did not feature in the latter stages of that cup success but did chip in with a few appearances and goals during the preliminary rounds. Registrar to a Senior Consultant. And as we have come to know about this fleet footed wizard is that doing
just one thing is never enough and he has always been the first to stretch his capabilities. In those seven years, he lectured at the University of Nairobi in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, started his own private clinic called Gilead Medical Centre and though he never played for the national team, worked briefly as the Harambee Stars Team Manager in 1996 under the tenure of Montenegrin coach Vojo Garadasevic. The highlight of this six month stint with Harambee Stars came in July of that year as Stars claimed a 3-1 win over Algeria in a qualifier for the 1998 FIFAWorld Cup at the Kasarani Stadium. Medicine and Politics Politics, one of the many hats he wears, began for him in 2002 and is one of the main reason(s) as to why he left his position at KNH. During the National Alliance Rainbow Coalition (NARC) wave, Obwaka stated his ambition to vie for the Starehe Constituency parliamentary seat but would fall short at the Liberal
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LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL
WILLIAM OBWAKA
Democratic Party (LDP) nominations and as well as with the 2007 and 2013 elections. In 2007, he would fall at the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) nominations to Bishop Margret Wanjiru and in 2013, even after changing constituencies, would yet again not make it past the preliminaries as he was edged by Joan Macodawa for the Embakasi North seat. Football leadership In between that in 2011, he tried his hand at football management after a caucus of former players nominated him for presidency of the then Football Kenya Limited (FKL). But the political wrangles that have rocked the game for many a year saw him withdraw in support of Sammy Sholei who went on to win the Vice President’s seat. “I will not want to speak more on it but Joe Kadenge called me during that time and we spoke at length and I took the decision to step aside for Sholei. At the time my heart was in it (football governance) but I have since moved on and that chapter is closed for me.
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“But I do believe that having someone who once played the game at the top echelons of management in this country is the way to go. Not just any other player, but a
During the National Alliance Rainbow Coalition (NARC) wave, Obwaka stated his ambition to vie for the Starehe Constituency parliamentary seat player who is learned and an elite who knows about management, leadership and governance. Advice to players “My advice to the young players currently playing and to those who are just entering retirement stems from that. To them I say don’t shy away from learning, play the game and add knowledge because there is a life after football even if you make
it to the paid ranks in Europe. Prepare yourselves. I played football for roughly 10 years, but I have been a doctor for 30 years now. You have your whole life ahead of you.” He did not stop practicing medicine during this political period though and in between, worked for John Hopkins Program for International Education for Gynecology and Obstetrics (JHPIEGO), A.M.I hospital in Tanzania while also running his private practice alongside his elder brother, Job. Writing He is also trying his hand at writing and is working on his first release called “After the Applause” a book centered on educating the country’s sportsmen and women on the need to plan for a life after the fame and glory. Also, together with his wife, who became an ordained minister with CITAM, they offer talks on marriage and family life. A man of many hats, he ceased being ours only as football fans long time ago. His name has transcended outside the beautiful game and life after football could not have been sweeter and more meaningful for one Dr. Follow Peter Wainaina William Obwaka. on Twitter: @naina_naish
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FOOTBALL JOURNEY
DAVID OUMA
DAVID OUMA:
beginnings
KPL sojourn and Starlets’ success By Ian Muyumba
A
mid below par performances by the national football team, Harambee Stars, their women counterparts, Harambee Starlets, have stood out as the team to watch, particularly after Kenya’s maiden appearance at the African Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) in 2016. Behind these impressive results is coach David Ouma, who heads the team’s technical bench. Ouma prides himself in being one of a handful of coaches who have handled both the men’s and ladies’ teams, having previously also handled Kenyan Premier League sides Sofapaka, Posta Rangers and Mathare United. But what brought about his immense passion for the game? Kenya vs Nigeria January 1997 saw Harambee Stars take on a fancied Nigeria side at
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the Moi International Sports Center, Kasarani. David Ouma was in the stands, fully behind the home boys in their quest for a place at the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Kenya played out a 1-1 draw with the West African giants, then ranked fifth in the world, and the experience served enough inspiration to Ouma. This is when the managerial fire was lit; the urge to get to that level. “This Nigerian team was a joy to watch. It had the likes of Daniel Amokachi, Nwankwo Kanu, Celestine Babayaro and Sunday Oliseh, among others, who were in top form at the time. The ground was fully packed. I was at the topmost stand and after the match, I had a dream that one day I will be at the helm of the senior national team,” narrates Ouma. His dream would near fruition in
2015 when he was appointed as an understudy to the then Harambee Stars coach Bobby Williamson, but would ultimately come to pass when he took to the field at the Stade Municipal in Limbe, Cameroon, as the head coach of the senior women national team, Harambee Starlets.
Ouma’s managerial fire was lit after watch the Kenya versus Nigeria game at Kasarani in 1997 The team had against all odds, gained qualification, for the first time ever, to the AWCON, and this came at the expense of Algeria, who boasted of a higher ranking than the Starlets.
Kenya would lose to the experience of Ghana, Mali and Nigeria in Group B, but came back home with their heads high, having lifted Kenyan women football from dust to the continental scene. “When I stepped onto the pitch in our first match against Ghana, I first thanked God that I had achieved something I only dreamt of in my early years. It was an experience my players and I cherished. Coming up against top sides that had frequently graced the World Cup was a turning point for women football in Kenya,” recounts Ouma.
I wore my first soccer boots in Norway. It was hard for me as they were unf amiliar Ouma Humble Beginnings His colorful CV, however, veils a rather humble beginning for the effervescent coach. Born in February 1978 in a family of 11, Ouma grew up in Kahawa, Nairobi, and took part in the Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) leagues in his formative years. He would, in 1994, earn a chance to represent Kenya at the Norway Cup which incidentally, marked the first time he donned soccer boots.
David Ouma’s desire to manage was born after watching the Kenya v Nigeria clash in 1997 at Kasarani
“I turned up for the trials barefoot. The selectors, however, were impressed with my abilities and gave me a chance in the team that travelled to Norway,” narrates Ouma. “I wore my first soccer boots in Norway. It was hard for me as they
were unfamiliar, but the organizers motivated me to take up the challenge. With time, I adapted,” he adds in a humorous tone. His experience in Norway proved to be an eye opener. Armed with the exposure he had gained abroad, Ouma would form a youth team upon his return with an aim of positively influencing his community through giving his fellow youth a chance at football. Having been raised in a big family, his siblings, he says, were the pioneer players in the team. “I was highly motivated, upon my return to Kenya to be of positive impact to the community around me through football. I hence formed a girls’ and boys’ team, where I was both a player and a coach. Having come from a big family, I did not find it challenging to start a football team as my siblings were the pioneers,” quips Ouma. This marked the start of his coaching voyage. Coaching His team, Pro-Legend FC, which had players in the U12, U13, U16 and U18 categories, took part in the MYSA Leagues, with Ouma as a playercoach. This yielded him another opportunity to travel to the Norway Cup in 2002, this time as a coach. “It was an opportunity that gave me an entry point into coaching. We took home Bronze and on returning home, there was interest in me, specifically from Francis Kimanzi (who was then the coach at Mathare United) and Jacob Ghost Mulee (the then Tusker coach),” says Ouma. He would settle for Mathare United as an assistant coach while still actively coaching youth teams in the MYSA setup.
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FOOTBALL JOURNEY
DAVID OUMA
Another coaching opportunity would come calling four years later when he led the MYSA team to the Street Football World Cup in Berlin, Germany. The tourney, which brought together NonGovernmental Organizations that use sports for development, came at a time when the 2006 FIFA World Cup was in gear. “We went to Germany without soccer boots. We had to approach Puma on our arrival and promised to win the tourney in return. We came back home with Gold,” narrates Ouma. Their success in the German capital was the talk of town, making headlines in international media. Back home, Premier League teams had also started stalking him. Upon his return, he would settle at Mathare Youth FC, then in the top tier league. His next stop thereafter was at Posta Rangers in 2010 when the team was
David Ouma oversees a previous Harambee Starlets training session
struggling to stay afloat. Rangers ended the season ranked 13th but would achieve a seventh place finish the following season, going on to earn the Fair Play Award.
We went to Germany without soccer boots. We had to approach Puma on our arrival and promised to win the tourney in return Ouma In that year, the outgoing coach also added a CAF B Coaching License to his stout CV and would further be called upon to temporarily head Sofapaka FC’s technical bench in 2012 following head coach Salim Ali’s departure. Sofapaka “I rose to the Sofapaka helm at a In his time as coach in the Kenyan Premier League, David Ouma took home a number of accolades
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time the team was a pale shadow of its former self. With six matches remaining, however, we moved from seventh position to finish fourth in 2012. Since then, for the duration of my stay at the club, Sofapaka always finished among the top four,” recounts Ouma. Batoto ba Mungu would also miss out on the 2012 FKF Cup by a whisker following a 3-0 final loss on post-match penalties to Gor Mahia, then under the tutelage of Croatian Coach Zdvarko Logarusic. Ouma would however lay hands on his first silverware when Sofapaka edged out Gor Mahia in post-match penalties to win the inaugural Kenya Power Charity Cup at the MISC Kasarani. The tournament, played in February 2013, marked the beginning of yet another successful season that saw Sofapaka end the league at third place while also taking home the second runners up prize in the FKF Cup, which had now been rebranded as the GOtv Shield Tournament. 2014, Ouma’s third season at
Sofapaka, yet again started on a high with the team successfully defending the Kenya Power Charity Cup following a 3-2 win over Mathare United on post-match penalties in the final, after a 1-1 draw in normal time. Interestingly, Sofapaka had yet again beaten Gor Mahia 3-1 in the run up to the final. For Gor Mahia, the loss was a hard one to take, as a scuffle ensued between Gor Mahia fans and their AFC Leopards counterparts, who had earlier in the day been knocked out at the semifinals stage by Mathare United on post-match penalties. “2014 was quite an eventful year. I witnessed fracas in two matches involving Sofapaka and Gor Mahia which was quite unfortunate. We had a formidable squad then which made it quite tough for our opponents,” he says. That season, Gor Mahia would be banned from the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos after rowdy fans went on the rampage, destroying property in Machakos following a 3-2 loss to Sofapaka, then Ouma serving as Sam Timbe’s assistant. AFC Leopards would also lose to Sofapaka in the GOtv Shield semifinals, a match that
however, ended prematurely when Ingwe fans turned violent. Harambee Stars, Starlets His performances at club level would earn him a chance at the national stage when he was called upon, in 2015, to lead the women national football team through the 2016 Rio Olympics qualifiers.
His performances at club level would earn him a chance at the national stage when he was called upon, in 2015, to lead the Women National football team through the 2016 Rio Olympics Qualifiers The appointment was not new to him as he had in 2007 served in the Kenya women’s U17 national team’s
technical bench at the CECAFA U17 Championships in Burundi. He had also served the team as the head coach in 2012. “At that time, we were at our worst in women football. It was hence a tough decision, since Sofapaka had gained qualification to the CAF Confederations Cup. I however took up the challenge wholeheartedly after the players I had at my disposal also agreed to roll up their sleeves for the uphill task ahead of us,” says Ouma. Kenya came up against Botswana and advanced 2-2 on aggregate courtesy of an away goal scored in Lobatse, Botswana, but would fall 2-0 on aggregate in the third round to South Africa, who went on to grace the tourney in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. His biggest milestone with the women’s national team would come the following year when the Starlets gained qualification to the 2016 Africa Women Cup of Nations in Cameroon at the expense of Algeria. A string of impressive results would ensue thereafter but he had to endure an early exit in the qualifiers for the 2018 edition following a loss to Equatorial Guinea at the last hurdle.
David Ouma (fpurth right) with the Harambee Starlets team and technical bench ahead of an international match at the Kenyatta Stadium, Machakos
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FOOTBALL JOURNEY
DAVID OUMA
David Ouma takes the Harambee Starlets team through a pep talk after a training session
“I must thank Football Kenya Federation for giving Starlets equal opportunities as their male counterparts. Unlike in the past regimes, our team trains at top facilities and camps at comfortable residences. This, coupled with the unified Women Premier League and the annual grants to Women Premier League and Division One Clubs, is a catalyst to better performances by the Starlets,” opines Ouma. Coaching Courses, Centers of Excellence The UEFA B License holder, who is also part of a handful of Kenyan coaches with the CAF A License accreditation, has currently been tasked by Football Kenya Federation to oversee the ongoing Coaching courses, aimed at capacity building for coaches at the grass root level. “I have had opportunities to study coaching through the Dutch Football Association. My biggest achievement definitely has to be the UEFA B License. I got to study alongside Frank De
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Apart from his role at the Harambee Starlets, David Ouma is a key man in the Federation’s youth and coaching programs
Boer, Winston Lloyd Bogarde and Pierre van Hooijdonk, among other famous former Dutch national team players who were transitioning into coaching,” says Ouma. “I also had a chance to intern at the Ajax Amsterdam Football Club. It is therefore necessary that I pass on this knowledge to the upcoming generation.” Further, Ouma oversaw the inception of the FKF Centers of Excellence and is now in charge of the program, which aims at equipping young talented players with both football and academic skills. For the Centers of Excellence, FKF has a Memorandum of Understanding with Juja Preparatory School and Laiser Hill Academy which will see the Federation provide equipment and trained coaches while the schools create a conducive environment for selected players to progress academically.
David Ouma explains a point at a past Harambee Starlets training session
Ouma also oversees the FKF Youth Leagues that have seen close to 20,000 players in over 54 sub branches countrywide get a chance to showcase their talent. His silent demeanor veils a stout CV that sums up his outstanding football journey. A proud father of three, Ouma, who looks up to Vicente Del Bosque and Abbas Zamalek Magongo for inspiration, feels success is a personal choice, and he is currently working towards capacity building to develop and mentor coaches and players at the grass root level.
Follow Ian Muyumba on Twitter: @ianmuyumba
David Ouma is thankful to the Federation for putting to the fore women football
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BLAST FROM THE PAST
THE LONGEST HALF TIME
THE LONGEST
TIME A lot has happened in Kenyan football but nothing beats the record longest half time break seen in one Kenyan Premier League game a few years ago By Patrick Korir
I
t is a sporty day one Sunday on 24th of August 2008, and what a better way to head to the Stadium for a match? So, I tag along my soccer mad nephew Ian who was barely 13 for a clash at the Nyayo National stadium as an out of sorts Gor Mahia hosted the in-form Mathare United from 4pm. The two of us were part of the sparse crowd and for convenience sake, we perched at the upper slab of the VIP for a falcon-view of the action. The game was breathtaking as Mathare United, with the likes of keeper Duncan Ochieng, burly
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defender Edgar Ochieng, Austin Makacha, Francis Ouma, Kevin Ochieng to name but a few, were in their fine element.
Suspense and the usual twist of a game made up part of the action till the turning point in the 35th minute when Mathare were awarded a free kick at the edge of the box
The Gor of then was not that of now, but still the brand coming up against a Ngombe and Prestige Magarine shirt clad Slum Boys was something to watch. Some of the players in their ranks were Habil Otieno, Nathan Munai, keeper Fredrick Jerim Onyango and left back Francis Akango. Suspense Suspense and the usual twist of a game made up part of the action till the turning point in the 35th minute when Mathare were awarded a free kick at the edge of the box. Gor Mahia goalkeeper Jerim Onyango had stepped outside the penalty box and handled the ball prompting referee Frank Musungu
to award Mathare the free kick. Stepping up to take it was Makacha and with precision got the ball to the bottom of the near post for Mathare to take a 1-0 lead. The few who celebrated the wonder strike on the Mathare lot of fans - including their then seasoned diehard, Rama - were silenced by an irate Gor mob who argued that the freekick was unwarranted in the first place. That built a chorus of anger as the game wore on to half time. Protestations soon after that goal spread tension to the pitch and by the time the half time break came, what happened next was imprudent by a handful of fans. As the match officials walked to the changing rooms they were man-handled and sprayed with sand by unknown persons but nonetheless, under police escort, made it to the rooms. It was Harum-scarum. But that was it. They never returned as a small but volatile group bayed for their blood. Some claimed that referee Musungu handled the match ‘poorly’ and as such would not be allowed to return to the field for the next stanza. Pending Even as both sets of players returned to the field, the match officials did not, leaving the second half pending. Left with no option match commissar Robert Anangwe called off the match indefinitely leaving its fate at the hands of the Kenya Premier League (KPL) Independent Disciplinary Committee (IDC).
1-0 in Nakuru in their 19th outing of the league. “It is bad that such things are happening to our league. It was the first of its kind this year and I hope it will not derail our progress,” Mathare United coach Francis Kimanzi was quoted by a local daily. Many days later a direction was issued by the IDC – the match to be replayed from the point it had been
It is bad that such things are happening to our league. It was the first of its kind this year and I hope it will not derail our progress - Kimanzi
ball with his knee for an equalizer in the 87th minute for Gor to win on the day, and bring the overall score to 1-1. The goal came after Mathare keeper misjudged a throw in by Akango gifting Habil-90 The scribes had it that Otieno scored on Wednesday 17 September at Nyayo Stadium to cancel out Austin Makacha’s strike on August 24 at the same venue for Gor to hold Mathare United to a 1-1 draw. The draw moved Mathare United to the 45-point mark – 24 ahead of a 14th placed Gor, and five clear of nearest rivals Sony Sugar. Though it came to pass, the second part of the game almost failed to kick off as a section of Gor fans called for a full 90-minute game ‘or no game at all’.
abandoned, at half time, on August 24 over security concerns.
As Mathare warmed up for it, Gor players were in the changing room waiting on directions but finally emerged for the game to kick off 43 minute later than its scheduled 4pm kick off.
New date And a new date was set - Wednesday 17 September at the same Nyayo Stadium – ending the half time break after a record 24 days!
It was the first time a match was being played from the point of abandonment in the KPL, and after 24 days, turned out to be the longest half time ever.
Gor came out tops in this one as Habil Otieno somehow clipped the Follow Patrick Korir on Twitter: @tipkorir
As they waited on the IDC to rule on the matter, Mathare’s league points tally remained 38 from 18 matches, just one ahead of Awendo-based Sony Sugar who had beaten home team Ulinzi Stars
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MA
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PF: Gor Mahia Coaches I
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PATH FINDER The path finder grid below contains a selection of Gor Mahia Coaches, starting with the highlighted ‘P’. 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 9 teams to find in total. By Lenny Ruvaga ruvagalenny@hotmail.com
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