Why the rich also cry: AFC struggle belies their strength in squad and big money signings

AFC Leopards striker Jacob Keli reats after Mathare United defeat during their premier league match at Nyayo stadium on 13-07-2014.PHOTO/DENNIS OKEYO

They say the rich also cry. This is a saying that perfectly captures the current situation at Kenyan Premier League (KPL) side AFC Leopards.
With three matches into the second leg, the club has nothing to show for the millions they have spent in the last six months to strengthen their squad.
The club is currently placed 13th with just 19 points from 17 matches. In terms of the depth and finances spent to assemble a squad, Leopards are only comparable to former champions Tusker.
But the comparison ends at the depth level as the brewers are not known to spend a lot of money to buy players.
The club kicked off their spending spree at the beginning of the season by making some big money signings.
Among the expensive signings at the start of the season include former Sony Sugar goalkeeper Wycliff Kasaya who cost the club Sh500,000, former Tusker defender Joseph Shikokoti who cost Sh700,000 and last year’s top striker Jacob Keli, who was reportedly paid Sh1million to sign for the club as his contract with KCB had run out.
In terms of return on investment, all the three signings are yet to repay the money spent on them. Shikokoti had a torrid time fitting into the first team and stayed out for almost three months due to poor form before new coach Pieter De Jongh found a new role for him in midfield.
He has scored once for Leopards, but continues to struggle to fit in the team. Of the three, Jacob Keli has been the most disappointing. Last year, he was voted the league’s best player and also emerged as the golden boot winner.
But Keli has struggled to stamp his authority at Leopards and boasts of having scored just two goals since the season started. In an earlier interview, Keli had said he wanted more time to fit into his new club, but with weeks turning into months, it does not look like he will recover anytime soon.
It was assumed that the departure of Allan Wanga, who joined El-Mereikh would give Keli an opportunity to show his best, but so far, there is no evidence to prove that.
Come the June transfer window and Leopards according to tradition, also signed big. They seemed to have pulled the plug off their arch-rivals Gor Mahia by signing Timona Wanyonyi at a cost of Sh500,000.
For a player who is not yet out of his teens, it was a good deal for Wanyonyi. However, no sooner had the ink dried on Wanyonyi’s contract than trouble started. It all started when the player alleged he had been issued with a bounced cheque as part of his transfer fee.
After two matches, Wanyonyi, who struggled to fit into the Leopards line-up, took off and has threatened to walk out of his contract which will be a wasted investment for the GOtv champions.

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