Kenyan football is like a squeaking door hinge that needs replacement, not oiling

Earlier this week I chanced upon a Kenyan 20-year-old named Marcel Awori who is doing amazing sports things in Kayole.

With his non-profit organization called BUILD Sports Africa, Awori, who quit football last year due to a niggling injury, is collaborating with various local and international entities to help talented youngsters develop their talents into professions. 

But what struck me was that before injury slowed him down, he had left Kenya and gone abroad for nothing else except to pursue sporting excellence.

He said: “I want to change the sporting landscape in Africa to stop athletes from feeling like they need to leave to develop and become professionals. My experience is that I felt backed into a corner by having to go abroad for sports. I don’t want others who aren’t as privileged or have those opportunities to feel like they cannot develop their sports since they can’t leave. I want them to be treated similarly to those in the US and Europe in terms of developing their talents.”

He did acknowledge that he was able to move to the US and play in the lower tier leagues there only due to his privileged background.

Imagine how many young, talented players who feel the same, that they can never reach their full potential in the current sporting landscape, but can’t leave? 

It all points to the disheartening state of our local sports industry. If life wasn’t difficult enough with—take your pick—stealing of Olympics kits about a decade ago, embezzlement of funds meant for constructing of stadiums, substandard leadership across all sports, and lest we forget, the demotion of the national Sevens team from the World Rugby Series, here comes a football league season that will be devoid of prize money.

To put it plainly, all Kenyan Premier League teams that sweated it out on the pitch this year did it for nothing. No reward. There was nothing to play for and no player statistics to even determine who did what.  

Those who we are waiting upon to change the tides of the game are busy finding excuses. They are more than pleased to heap blame on “other” people who have destroyed the game by “chasing away sponsors.”

What I get from listening to the explanations of Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Nick Mwendwa on why the league winners will walk out empty handed is that if only former CS Amina Mohammed hadn’t suspended them from office.

If only the media could have turned a blind eye and allowed his now reinstated office to work without disturbance. If only the sponsors would shut their eyes to the blatant mismanagement of the game. If only…then he would have delivered Harambee Stars to the World Cup. Wow! 

Think of that 14-year-old boy from Mathare slums or from Sindo town in Homa bay county, who hopes to someday play for Tusker or Gor Mahia or any other Kenyan Premier League team.

When he hears that the local stars such as Omalla will walk home empty handed after playing all season, what is that likely to do to his desire to take football as a career? 

I know it has been said before, and I will not tire of saying it, but a form of methodical madness is urgently required to save our beloved sport. 

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