Give legends the mantle of football leadership
Boniface Andayi (right) of Ulinzi Stars vies for the ball with AFC Leopards' Kingley Fasanmi during their friendly match at Nyayo National sStadium on September 4, 2022.
What you need to know:
The current football environment is so toxic, and a poisoned chalice; it should be redirected and shepherded by the right people.
- Just as we have a new government, let us have new credible faces in football management.
I concur with football legends from western Kenya who are dissatisfied with the manner in which the local game is being run.
Kenyan football has been taken over by people who have no ideas. They are oblivious of the efforts and sacrifices the players painstakingly make to survive, and at the same time give decent performances on the pitch.
They have taken over football with sinister and selfish ambitions. This has led to the deterioration in the integrity of football activities in the country.
No sponsor wants to be associated with the current football leadership because of integrity issues.
In other disciplines like athletics, rugby and basketball, the officials running these sports are former players or former team officials with a deep history and understanding of the game.
Likewise, football should be left to former players who have vast experience and knowledge of the game to manage it.
In many African countries where football is a success story, former players are in the top management, not by virtue of their financial muscle, but by their sheer experience and understanding of the game.
“I don’t care”
Unlike in Kenya where politics and novices have taken over and the standards are dwindling fast. The “I don’t care” attitude is most appalling.
Former players, who have represented Kenya at various major events, spoke at the weekend and said that Kenyan football needs to be returned to its rightful place. And that must start from the topmost office.
If these legends of the game take over the leadership of the game, they will not engage in political games and innuendos but will instead focus on development and nurturing talents by investing in the youth and women’s football as well.
I call upon the newly elected government to recognise and appreciate the former football legends by engaging them in football administration positions not just in FKF but also in the national and county governments’ sports departments.
The current football environment is so toxic, and a poisoned chalice; it should be redirected and shepherded by the right people.
Just as we have a new government, let us have new credible faces in football management.
