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The silent return of footballers Dan Sserunkuma, George ‘Blackberry’ Odhiambo, Francis Kahata, Francis Ouma, Edwin Lavatsa and Jacob Keli, from their fruitless sojourns abroad did not surprise many.
Their failure to shine abroad is sure proof that success at home and abroad are two different things altogether. Several factors come into play. Former Gor Mahia and Harambee Stars player Peter Dawo had a taste of it in 1988, when he joined Arab Contractors — it was no cakewalk for a man who triumphed back at home. It happens to many footballers worldwide.
The first crop of footballers to move to Europe came from Nest and North Africa. There were the likes of Cameroonian star Théophile Abega. Abega also captained Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions which shone at the 1982 World Cup in Spain. He had what sports writers call ‘presence’, or what Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee calls ‘character’.
Like our own Allan Thigo, he seemed to dominate and control the game even when he was nowhere near the ball. He was one of Africa’s best readers of the game and with accurate passing — he was nicknamed le docteur, or ‘the doctor’.
He would join Toulouse in France, but left shortly for FC Vevey of Switzerland. In France, the French football sponsored Ballon d’Or award recognised him as the best footballer in Africa. However, his star did not shine like it did for Canon Yaoundé or the Indomitable Lions.
Besides settling down to a new culture, players find themselves handling lots of cash within flashy environments. Their young age and poor background is a contributing factor to their failure — they find it difficult to manage success.
Language barrier is another major factor. Many suffer serious culture shock when exposed to situations where they are expected to communicate and internalise instructions.
Albania seems to be a bad hunting ground for many players. Kahata, Blackberry and now Sserunkuma have all failed to impress in that country.
Experienced professional players from West Africa help their young upcoming players to attend trials. Some do it as a business with agents but some do it as a community social responsibility.
It is not clear whether our now semi-retired Dennis ‘The Menace’ Oliech or McDonald Mariga managed to assist younger players to join European ranks. I know for sure that Musa Otieno was highly instrumental in ensuring Brian Mandela made it in South Africa. We also suspect that David Owino must have put in a good word for Anthony Akumu and Jesse Were.
Before going to Algeria, Edwin Lavatsa looked very promising at K’Ogalo. Nobody seems to know what transpired in North Africa after he quietly returned home to join Mathare United. He now plays for Bandari FC.
According to Norway-based Arnold Origi, some of our young players get confused when they handle big money. They stop working hard and skip training. They assume they have arrived, forgetting that their journey to stardom has just begun.
But our players should not be worried because this happens world over. For instance, Brazilian players have failed to adapt to European football. Egyptians on the other hand prefer playing at home where the ‘club culture’ is favourable to their lifestyle.The silent return of footballers Dan Sserunkuma, George ‘Blackberry’ Odhiambo, Francis Kahata, Francis Ouma, Edwin Lavatsa and Jacob Keli, from their fruitless sojourns abroad did not surprise many.
Their failure to shine abroad is sure proof that success at home and abroad are two different things altogether. Several factors come into play. Former Gor Mahia and Harambee Stars player Peter Dawo had a taste of it in 1988, when he joined Arab Contractors — it was no cakewalk for a man who triumphed back at home. It happens to many footballers worldwide.
The first crop of footballers to move to Europe came from Nest and North Africa. There were the likes of Cameroonian star Théophile Abega. Abega also captained Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions which shone at the 1982 World Cup in Spain. He had what sports writers call ‘presence’, or what Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee calls ‘character’.
Like our own Allan Thigo, he seemed to dominate and control the game even when he was nowhere near the ball. He was one of Africa’s best readers of the game and with accurate passing — he was nicknamed le docteur, or ‘the doctor’.
He would join Toulouse in France, but left shortly for FC Vevey of Switzerland. In France, the French football sponsored Ballon d’Or award recognised him as the best footballer in Africa. However, his star did not shine like it did for Canon Yaoundé or the Indomitable Lions.
Besides settling down to a new culture, players find themselves handling lots of cash within flashy environments. Their young age and poor background is a contributing factor to their failure — they find it difficult to manage success.
Language barrier is another major factor. Many suffer serious culture shock when exposed to situations where they are expected to communicate and internalise instructions.
Albania seems to be a bad hunting ground for many players. Kahata, Blackberry and now Sserunkuma have all failed to impress in that country.
Experienced professional players from West Africa help their young upcoming players to attend trials. Some do it as a business with agents but some do it as a community social responsibility.
It is not clear whether our now semi-retired Dennis ‘The Menace’ Oliech or McDonald Mariga managed to assist younger players to join European ranks. I know for sure that Musa Otieno was highly instrumental in ensuring Brian Mandela made it in South Africa. We also suspect that David Owino must have put in a good word for Anthony Akumu and Jesse Were.
Before going to Algeria, Edwin Lavatsa looked very promising at K’Ogalo. Nobody seems to know what transpired in North Africa after he quietly returned home to join Mathare United. He now plays for Bandari FC.
According to Norway-based Arnold Origi, some of our young players get confused when they handle big money. They stop working hard and skip training. They assume they have arrived, forgetting that their journey to stardom has just begun.
But our players should not be worried because this happens world over. For instance, Brazilian players have failed to adapt to European football. Egyptians on the other hand prefer playing at home where the ‘club culture’ is favourable to their lifestyle.
