We should celebrate WRC Safari Rally, Shabana FC, Murang’a Seal success stories

The last few days have been quite exciting in Kenyan sport, principally the success of the June 22-25 World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally.

Frenchman Sebastian Ogier’s 6.7-second margin of victory over Toyota teammate and reigning world champion Kalle Rovanpera of Finland was the slimmest in World Rally Championship Safari Rally history.

Debate over Hyundai’s propshaft gremlins and the unforgiving Kenyan terrain remain the talk within global rallying circles, but there’s only one verdict passed by motorsport purists: That the Safari Rally remains the toughest round on the World Rally Championship calendar.

On the sidelines, President William Ruto’s romance with the seventh round of the global series hit sceptics for a huge six, while the Phineas Kimathi-led WRC Safari Rally Secretariat’s flawless management of this year’s competition clean-bowled critics, who assumed management changes in the event’s Local Organising Committee (LOC) would have thrown the spanner in the works.

The yorker was to come when LOC Chairman Carl Tundo led from the front, taking on the big P1 boys himself, rewarded with a Rally2 podium and 11th place overall in his Skoda Fabia, just 40 minutes, 56.1 seconds behind Ogier.

In the build-up to this year’s rally, popular word was that a vengeful Kenya Kwanza regime would have put the Safari Rally on the backburner as it was largely seen as former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee pet project.

But when President Ruto put on the fireproof rally suit, tied the laces of his racing shoes, fitted a competition helmet (having been cleared by rally stewards upon request from the WRC Promoter for promotional reasons) and eased into the WRC Ford Puma beside French driver Jean-Pierre Loubet for a cruise at Shakedown, that narrative was overhauled in the 5.4-kilometre Loldia dust.

The President’s personal interest, and subsequent reassurance that the Safari would remain on the World Rally Championship calendar beyond the contracted 2026 date was certainly music to the ears of rally diehards.

Marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge’s decision to make time and mingle with top rally drivers - led by 2019 world rally champion Ott Tanak and his M-Sport Ford teammate Loubet - along with Africa 100 metres champion and record holder Ferdinand Omanyala’s pre-rally hype with world champion Rovanpera in Toyota’s “man vs machine” promo helped spice up this year’s competition.

We hope to see the rally gain more traction and maintain it’s international appeal that’s the envy of many, with this year’s global television audience figures expected to surge past the 81,990,837 recorded by the WRC Promoter last year.

From the high-speed machines to the football grounds, the last few days have also witnessed a surge in support for community football with the exchanges between Murang’a Seal and Shabana in the race for the National Super League (NSL) title particularly intriguing.

Shabana lead the NSL standings with 70 points, two more than Seal with one round remaining this Saturday.

Shabana are at home (Gusii Stadium) to Kisumu All Stars while Murang’a play away to Gusii FC at the Awendo Green Stadium.

Meaning the NSL title’s destination lies in the hands of Omogusii as Gusii FC can do “big brother” a favour by stopping the Seals for Shabana to be crowned champions, even if they fall to All Stars.

But the “Glamour Boys” would rather throw Embarambamba, the kitchen sink and whatever it takes at All Stars to clinch it in style, return to the premiership after close to two decades in the cold and rekindle the days of old, when, as a schoolboy, I used to sneak out of Cardinal Otunga High School and walk 11 kilometres to Gusii Stadium, just to admire the artistry of likes of Henry Motego, Henry Nyandoro, Mike Okoth, Salim Mabruk, Richard Otambo, Peter “Kass Kass” Kamau, Sylvester Mageni, Omar Hussein “Tigana,” Seif Puzzo, Vincent “Jerrican” Abuga, Evans Ombuna and co.

So, naturally, my heart is solidly behind Shabana FC, but, as a neutral, I also congratulate Murang’a Seal for making it to the big league as a community team.

I also hope to see Migori United successfully navigate the playoffs so that we have two sides from Nyanza South in the top league. Tore bobe!
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Motorsports and football aside, allow me chime in with some bragging following our football team’s overwhelming victory in last weekend’s Inter Media Football Tournament.

The one-day, five-a-side extravaganza was organized by the Sports Journalists’ Association of Kenya (SJAK) and attracted 16 media houses.
Besides edging out SuperSport 3-2 in the final, Nation FC also produced the tournament’s best performers – Titus Mbithi (top scorer), Peter Bol (Most Valuable Player), Richard Wandera (Best Goalkeeper) and Yasmin Khalid (Best Female Player).

Kudos to the SJAK office, under President James Waindi, for putting together this tournament to celebrate the World Sports Journalists’ Day.

Sadly, Harambee Starlets’ scouts weren’t present to witness the skills of the brilliant, young Yasmin who, in my opinion, can walk into any top European professional women’s team and, with elite coaching, turn out to be one of the best ball players coming out of Africa.

At just 21, Yasmin has all the qualities of a complete player, from ball handling to vision, alongside the ability to shoot with both feet and take on opposing defenders with the ease of a ballet dancer.

She has a brilliant football mind!

As we, at Nation Media Group, support Yasmin’s sports management/ sports journalism dreams and a career in professional football, we just hope our national team selectors will cast their net wider to capture such hidden talent.

Makori is the Lead Editor – Sports and Integrated Projects at Nation Media Group. [email protected]