Stars’ players support coach Hey on commitment letters

Courtesy of The Standard
Local Harambee Stars players are supporting coach Antoine Hey’s move to introduce players’ commitment letters as a mandatory requirement to be part of the squad.

Hey introduced the rule for the first time in the history of the team after four Mathare United players left camp without notice to join their club a week before Kenya opened their 2010 World Cup/ Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in March.

Led by former skipper, Edgar Ochieng’, who was a victim of the club verses national team battle, the players welcomed the rule, saying it was the best approach to handle the differences emerging between the clubs and national teams about the players.

Tusker FC’s defender Joseph Shikokoti supported Ochieng’s sentiments, saying players were just victims of circumstances when football chiefs collided with club officials.

Used as pawns

"The letter will show our commitment to the national team and, while we are on national duty, we should be focused and concentrate rather than be used as pawns in wars we know nothing about.

"All we want to do is to play football. We can’t do without our clubs because that is where we earn our living. Neither can we jeopardise a chance to represent the national team," said the towering defender after yesterday’s training.

Stars broke camp yesterday afternoon for weekend’s Kenya Premier League fixtures set for different venues.

Hey has asked all players to carry commitment letters signed by their club’s chairmen when they return to camp on Sunday evening, failure of which they would be dropped from the squad.

He said he wanted to end uncertainty of players and instil discipline in the team when the camp resumes on Monday.

"We have to run the national team as one and we cannot entertain some things if we want to progress. I wouldn’t want a situation like what happened with the four Mathare United players a week before our crucial match against Tunisia.