Stars lose build up match

COURTESY OF CHARLIE NYENDE/NATION MEDIA GROUP

Kenya’s Harambee Stars were embarrassed 2-0 by mid-table Kenyan Premier League side KCB in a practice match at Nairobi's Moi International Sports Centre, on Wednesday.

Former Kenya international Asman Ngaiywa got the opener for the bankers in the seventh minute, stealing between Pascal Ochieng and Mulinge Munandi in the Stars central defence to beat David Okello.

Joseph Waweru wrapped things up for the 11th placed team in the KPL, racing clear in a decisive counter attack move to loop the ball over the advancing Okello.

Coach Antoine Hey, who observed the practice match from the terraces, ducked from waiting journalists for a post match interview leaving his assistant Twahir Muhiddin to offer explanations.

“We told the players to enjoy the game but some of them were just walking on the pitch. I hope the have learnt that if a local league side can give them a run for their money then they have a lot of work to do. Nothing is easy,” the disappointed Muhiddin said.

Stars were using the practice match as part of their preparations for the World Cup/African Cup of Nations qualifier against Nigeria on June 6. An international friendly match against Malawi scheduled for May 27 has been cancelled. “Malawi called us to say they could not get flights to Nairobi for the tie but I think it is just an excuse,” Football Kenya Limited vice chairman Erustus Okul said.

Instil discipline

His senior vice-chairman Titus Kasuve meanwhile hinted that the seven expelled players from the Harambee Stars could be reinstated. “There situation is not cast in stone but we must instil discipline in everybody. We hope to resolve the issue amicably,” Kasuve said.

KPL was due to meet Hey on Wednesday evening to discuss Harambee Stars preparations. Hey banished Edgar Ochieng of Tusker, Joseph Shokokoti, John Njoroge and Fred Ajwang from Tusker and Sofapaka’s Wilson Oburu, Evans Wandera and James Situma from the team camp at Kasarani on Monday for their failure to sign a controversial commitment letter that has sown discord between the Harambee Stars technical bench and KPL.

The absence of the experienced players showed as KCB repeatedly carved open a decidedly vulnerable looking Harambee Stars backline that started with Ibrahim Shikanda, Mulinge Munandi, Pascal Ochieng and Julius Owino.

Failed to finish

After several close calls, the bankers inevitably opened accounts when Ngaiywa, a handful for Stars, timed his run well to send the ball home with a sliding effort. Stars began to gradually exert themselves despite several players featuring in unfamiliar positions – George Owino in a holding midfield role, Osborn Monday in an attacking midfield role for example.

The prominent Victor Mugabe saw his shot from a neat turn just wide on the 17th minute. Two minutes later Mugabe put Tanzania league top score Boniface Ambani through but the lanky striker kneed his effort straight at the KCB keeper Daniel Onyango.

Ambani again failed to finish off from a flowing move that passed through George Owino in midfield to the overlapping Julius Owino on the left flank. Hillary Echesa’s drive from close range was pushed back into play by Onyango as Stars finished the first half strongly but for a goal. Both teams made several changes in the second half but the pattern remained the same.

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Bandari sack Coach Mutua

Bandari FC’s technical bench of (from left) coach Douglas Mutua, Wycliffe Anyangu (assistant coach), Mohammed “Tostao” Nazzir (team manager) and George “Fundi” Onyango (assistant coach) during their 5-0 thrashing by Tusker FC in Nairobi last weekend. The entire bench has been sacked by the club’s parent company, Kenya Ports Authority. Photo/MOHAMMED AMIN/NATION MEDIA GROUP

BY PHILIP ONYANGO/NATION MEDIA GROUP
Following a string of poor results, the management of Bandari FC has finally cracked the whip by sacking its entire technical bench.

Team captain Ali Briek takes over as player-cum-interim coach after club chairman Jane Kamau on Tuesday gave the marching orders to head coach Douglas Mutua and his assistants, Wycliffe Anyangu and George “Fundi” Onyango.

Mohammed “Tostao” Nazzir will, however, stay on as team manager for the remaining two matches.

When reached by the Daily Nation on Tuesday, the affected officials declined to comment on the issue, with Mutua only confirming that they were back at work at the club’s parent company, Kenya Ports Authority, where company policy does not allow them to make statements to the Press.

Bandari, who only last weekend were handed a 5-0 demolition by Tusker, will host Ulinzi on May 23rd.

Kamau did not mince her words while making the sackings public on Tuesday: “Enough is enough. We could not just sit back as the team continued to lose matches, reflecting very negatively on the image of the corporation.”

She added that drastic changes would be made in the company’s sports department.

Discipline is paramount in any sport, she noted while wondering how players were expected to be disciplined when the officials were not.

Bandari players had demanded the immediate removal of the bench and the sports office during a two-hour closed-door meeting with senior KPA managers Salim Chingabwe and Jane Kamau at the firm’s Mbaraki Sports Club last Wednesday, alleging the bench was not up to the task and held it responsible for the poor results.

Brothels

Mutua, Anyangu, Onyango and Nazzir were all locked out of the meeting, as was the recently appointed KPA welfare and sports officials whom the players now want removed.

“We have been taking the blame whenever we lose matches but people just do not know what we go through as players, especially when playing away from home,” a senior player, who declined to be named, said.

“Some of us are Muslims, and being accommodated in lodgings which can be equated to brothels is an abuse to our fundamental rights.”

“These official get as much as Sh25,000 for a weekend league match while we, who do the actual playing, get as little as Sh3,000,” another player said. The players called for harmonisation of allowances, claiming theirs have been cut by half.

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We bicker as they prepare

While letters of the commitment kind have caused all sorts of furore at the Harambee Stars training camp, Tunisia, Mozambique and Nigeria are all calm,shaping up well for the next round of World Cup/Africa Cup of Nations 2010 qualifiers in early June.

The Carthage Eagles of Tunisia have lined up an international friendly against their Sudanese counterparts, the Desert Hawks on Wednesday, May 27 in Tunis.

Reports from Lagos had indicated Nigeria's intention to play Argentina in an international friendly in Abuja ahead of the Kenya clash.Whether or not the match materializes, it indicates the level of seriousness Kenya's opponents are putting into the qualifiers.

Not much news is out on the Black Mambas of Mozambique, and like the saying goes, no news is good news and it would be safe to assume that they are quietly, peacefully getting ready for the next round of matches.

Kenya? The big news at the Stars camp is the ongoing commitment letter saga pitting the FKL, Hey the Coach and the KPL clubs. Result, players have been pulled out of the squad which is now depleted. Friendly matches for Kenya are against a team in mid table oblivion and another rooted at the base of the KPL.

The day football authorities in Kenya master the art of management will be a great day for Kenyan soccer. Until that day, let us sit and enjoy another episode of the latest soap opera called "We bicker as they prepare" from that great Kenyan production house, The Kenya Football Authorities Inc.

Stay tuned

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Hey! Time's up

Hey guys! Sign the damn commitment letters ! PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NATION MEDIA GROUP

By James Waindi

Two weeks before Harambee Stars face Nigeria in a 2010 World Cup/Africa Nations Cup qualifier in Abuja, national head coach Antoine Hey has sealed the fate of seven key players.

Kenya, who lost the opening final round qualifier to Tunisia at home in March, face the dreaded Super Eagles of Nigeria on June 7 in a crucial qualifier that would turn around their campaign.

Hey, who had issued all local-based players with a notice to bring along commitment letters from their clubs before the team began residential training a fortnight ago, cracked the whip on the players whose clubs failed to adhere to his conditions, which have been described as draconian by Kenyan Premier League clubs.

The coach axed nine players after last Thursday’s training, but said he was flexible until Monday morning and only two players from Thika United, David Okello and Chrispin Olando, met the requirements.

Goalkeeper trainer Abdulrazak Siwa had to stand between the posts during yesterday’s training in the absence of Wilson Oburu, whose club Sofapaka have refused to sign the commitment letter.

Other players affected are Mathare United’s Edgar Ochieng’, Tusker’s Joseph Shikokoti, John Njoroge, Fred Ojwang and Sofapaka’s James Situma and Evans Wandera.

But Hey called AFC Leopard’s custodian Teddy Okumba later in the day to fill in Oburu’s gap.

Protecting the team

Speaking on behalf of the coach, Football Kenya Limited Senior Vice-chairman, Titus Kasuve, said dropping the seven was unfortunate but noted that it was geared towards protecting the national team in future.

"We gave the technical committee a free hand in running the team and they have decided to work without the seven players who could not meet the team’s requirements.

Discipline is vital thing in football and it cannot be taken for granted. We have no problems with the players. I pity them because their clubs are unfair to them," said Kasuve.

The letter says the players be in camp from Monday to Thursday afternoon, respect all the rules set while on national duty and not make public statements or interviews while in the national team.

"This is not a contract and I would not like some individuals to mislead Kenyans. A contract can only be done between a player and his club, but we needed commitments letters here," said Kasuve.

"Players can’t be exposed without playing for the national team. The clubs are blocking their chances of advancing," said Kasuve.

Kasuve said no more players would be called to the current 17, adding they expect seven foreign-based players to boost the squad.

Meanwhile FKL second vice-chairman Erastus Okul has blamed East Africa Breweries for purporting to support the national team through cash pledges and yet they denied their players a chance to play for the team.

"How can you pledge money to the team for the remaining five matches and pretend to be in the front line of supporting the national team and your club cannot release their players to play for the same team. We really feel cheated by EABL," said Okul.

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KPL Round 13 Round Up

Sunday's matches

Goals from Nathan Mutenza, Joseph Emeka, Noah Abich, Fred Ojwang and Augustine Etemesi steered Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions Tusker to a resounding 5-0 win over Bandari.
The win ensured the brewers, who last won the local league in 2007, returned to the top of the KPL table after Sofapaka had briefly dislodged them on Saturday.
Tusker, resting most of their key players ahead of their tough fixture against Gor Mahia next weekend, dominated the one-sided match yesterday, but Bandari had some flashes of brilliance and could have scored two or three goals.
Tusker’s Mutenza opened the scoring in the fourth minute, tapping in the ball from close range after a goalmouth melee in the match played at Kasarani.
Nigerian striker Joseph Emeka added the second for Tusker 20 minutes later, when he converted Jerry Santos’ cross to give the victors a 2-0 lead at half time.
After the break, Bandari twice went close through Said Amir who failed to beat Tusker’s custodian Boniface Oluoch in a one-on-one situation and Ali Abondo’s powerful shot went inches wide.
Tusker replied through Abich in the 48th minute when Bandari’s goalkeeper Swaleh Abdulrahman embarrassingly deflected an intended long cross into his own net.
At 3-0 up, Tusker passed the ball around and tried different formations as if in a training session. Tusker’s Oluoch thwarted Ali Breik and Zuberi Kombo’s efforts with brilliant saves, before substitute Ojwang notched the fourth goal in the 76th minute. Etemesi sealed the victory with a looped goal that beat an advancing Swaleh in the 87th minute.

Early Kick Off
In an early match, KCB came from behind to force a 1-1 tie against Sher Karuturi in a mouth-watering encounter at the same venue.
KCB custodian Dan Oluoch spilled Ibrahim Hassan’s shot and former international Nicholas Muyoti was quick to pounce and give the visitors a 1-0 lead after 29 minutes.
The bankers piled pressure, but the brilliance of international goalkeeper Noah Ayuko frustrated KCB until substitute Geoffrey Maina found the back of the net in the 82nd minute, scoring with his knee.
Ayuko had earlier seemed to return Jacob Keli’s shot into play but the ball looked to have crossed the goal line.
In Thika, AFC Leopards held the hosts to a barren draw in a match that saw both teams create minimal chances.
The result means that Leopards are still stuck at the bottom of the table after 13 matches.
In Naivasha, Red Berets held league champions Mathare United to a 1-1 draw in an evenly contested tie match at the Oserian Stadium.
The slum boys led by a solitary goal at half time after Chrispin Oduor scored in the 30th minute.

COURTESY OF THE STANDARD

Saturday's action
Sofapaka kept their discipline and ran out telling 1-0 victors over Sony Sugar at Awendo on Saturday.

Bob Mugalia scored in the 85th minute to send Sofapaka to the top of the Kenyan Premier League table -- at least for 24 hours -- and also signal that there are no doubts that the rookie Premiership team are serious title contenders.

Mugalia in previous action for Sofapaka/COURTESY OF THE NATION

The red hot Bob Mugalia carried on his goal scoring form from last week.

But Mugalia was only crowning the work of one of the most potent attacks in the league. His striking partner and leading goal getter for the side, Patrick Kagogo, provided the assist converted in the 76th minute.

Sony fought like wounded lions and Justin Monda, Moses Arita, Sylvester Wanyama and Dennis Onkangi were relentless but Sofapaka were able to breathe a sigh of relief and stage a celebration after scaling quite a mountain.

Said Sofapaka coach Robert Matano: "I pay tribute to the men. Great game and I am happy we bagged the three points which is always difficult away from home and in particular here at Awendo.

"We want to set the pace and possibly open a gap that will give us breathing space. The pressure is still on and I hope the men will maintain this form."

Agro Chemicals 1 Gor Mahia 0

Hussein Puzzo, the 19-year-old striker who is growing in stature at Agro Chemicals scored a useful goal from a Humphrey Alemba assist in the 79th minute for victory which was never expected to come easy.

Unfortunately for Gor Mahia, who had hoped to continue their recent sparkle, Agro Chemicals were also hitting a good patch in the past few weeks and the contest on Saturday at Furaha Academy, Muhoroni became gloriously competitive.

Agro, fielding a largely changed line-up from that which struggled at the start of the season, started off forcefully and dominated Gor Mahia for larger chunks of the game.

The resourceful Alemba initiated the winning run from the left flank then passed to Puzzo to score with a low hard shot that beat the diving Gor 'keeper George Odhiambo.

A delighted Agro coach Henry Omino said: "This competition is still wide open. Any team has a chance for the title and we are one of those you should not rule out just because we have been hovering near the basement of the table.

"We have a whole second leg coming from next month and we shall pull it if off; it will be a total change."

Ulinzi Stars 2 Western Stima 2

Western Stima blew a handsome 2-0 lead at Oserian ground in Naivasha, allowing a great comeback by Ulinzi Stars to snatch a draw.

The Ulinzi soldiers fought their way out the trenches with Vincent Onyango (51st minute) and veteran Harambee Stars defender Hussein Mohammed (85th) creating the escape route.

The evergreen Harambee Stars striker Mark Sirengo (seventh minute) and George Wesa (27th) seemed to have put Western Stima back to the path of winning ways which had raised eyebrows for much of the first quarter of the season when the Kakamega team even headed the table.

But Ulinzi, who are playing comfortably at mid-table had other ideas and pounced.

Nairobi City Stars 0 Chemelil Sugar 1

John Barasa rose to head in John Mwangi's cross to snatch an unexpected victory for Chemelil at Hope Centre against home team Nairobi City Stars.

The third minute ambush charged City Stars who relentlessly tried to reverse the situation but Chemelil were to hold on till the end.

Apart from in the 26th minute when the City Stars escaped by the assistance of the cross bar to keep off Wycliffe Omondi's hot shot, the home team were totally in charge but numerous chances just did not fall in place.

City Stars had the ball past the goal posts and Vincent Okoth seemed to have got the equaliser in the 72nd minute but was ruled marginally offside by referee Richard Obare.

Earlier in the 65th minute ,an Arthur Museve header from Thomas Wanyama's cross went just inches wide while skipper Dennis "Wise" Okoth could not believe his eyes when his goal-bound shot was cleared off the line.

Defensive midfielder Joshua Westerman also saw his dipping header just short and industrious David King'atua's audacious drive from wide was brilliantly kept out by the diving John Wahu in the Chemelil goal

COURTESY OF THE KENYA PREMIER LEAGUE

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