Gor Mahia's poor performance in Rwanda reflects standards of Kenyan football

NAIROBI, KENYA: Gor Mahia’s failure to win even a single match at the on-going regional club championships in Rwanda is another indictment of the Kenyan Premier League (KPL).

It raises doubts about the standards of a league that has always been touted as the best in the region.

There has been every reason to believe so. A multi million shilling sponsorship from broadcast partners SuperSport has ensured that the KPL enjoys one of the best exposure on the continent.

The result has seen many players turn professional even as a number of foreigners have been attracted to the KPL.

But Gor Mahia’s failure is proof once again that the KPL still has a long way to go. Before Gor Mahia, other Kenyan clubs have not fared better either in a competition that has been won a record 15 times by local sides.

Former international Dan Shikanda agrees that the failure of Gor Mahia to make an impact in Rwanda is proof that a lot still needs to be done for local football.

“The management of the league has improved no doubt but not on the pitch. We cannot expect to go far if we focus only on making the top better. It is all about developing structures and as long as this remain the same, we should expect even worse results,” he said.

Shikanda said the current system where teams are asked to pay registration fees before playing is responsible for loss of talent.

“We have made football an expensive sport. Those who cannot afford to pay simply give up and yet they may be the best players we have,” he added.

Chemelil Sugar coach Mike Mururi, however, insisted that the standards of KPL are still up there and Gor Mahia’s failure could have been self-inflicted.

“The KPL is still a very strong league. The problem is that Gor Mahia are used to being favoured by local referees who unfairly award them advantage on the pitch. At the regional tournament, they had no such advantage and therefore could not cope. My plea to local referees is that they ought to be fair. Showing bias only helps to kill KPL clubs because when they go out there and they do not get the same treatment ,it becomes difficult for them to perform,” he said.

Another KPL coach who did not want to be named agreed with Mururi and added that the league body should let clubs be exposed to different environments when playing matches.

“It is important that clubs learn to play in different environments and especially without their fans so that they can learn to cope in international tournaments,” he said.

Mathare United coach Stanley Okumbi however believes Gor Mahia’s failure was due to lack of adequate personnel.
“A good number of the players who won the league for them last year have left and made it difficult to do well,” he pointed out.

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