How lack of leadership and poor tactics cost sevens team

By Sean Cardovillis

Amonde failed to offer guidance while Treu’s strategy was poor

I  wish Kenyans could hold politicians accountable with the zeal that they show for the Kenya national sevens team.

Beleagued coach Paul Treu and his squad lie in ninth after last weekend’s dismal run in Hong Kong, with Wales snapping at their heels ahead of the final two legs in Scotland and England.

After listening to the opinions of the two hosts of ‘254 Rugby Show’, former national coaches and sevens teams players Benjamin Ayimba and Charles Cardovillis, the problems are deeper rooted than the public thinks.

First of all there is the issue of a lack of leadership.

Every team needs a strong leader and it appears to be clear at this point that Andrew Amonde is not the man up to the task.

And after his comments after their shield win, blaming ‘ bad luck’ for Kenya’s woes, he will not have endeared himself to the highly critical rugby fraternity.

Secondly, Treu’s enforced tactics and player positioning has really reflected in how the team has performed in the tournaments he’s been in charge of.

Players playing out of position and the team playing ‘narrow’ have seen the boys looking completely out-of-sorts and having a very negative body language.

Out-of-sorts

Collins Injera’s howler on Saturday that cost the team a place in the main cup quarter finals really hit the squad psychologically –– and it will take a massive lift from Treu to jolt the Kenyans’ self confidence.

Thirdly, the Kenya Rugby Union are running backwards to defend Treu and his technical bench by insisting that no wholesale changes to the squad will be made until after the series has ended. It remains to be seen what role new Vice Chairman Philip Jalang’o will play, after being in the centre of the drama surrounding immediate former coach Mike Friday.

The big loser in the Kenya Premier League (KPL) undoubtedly last weekend was Gor Mahia, who lost to Bandari in Mombasa last Sunday.

KPL Shake Ups

SuperSport commentator Herbert Mwachiro provides the local football updates on my radio show, and he has the latest on a fascinating league so far:

Gor’s loss in the first ever KPL match at be played at the renovated Mombasa County left them winless in four matches, and Bandari’s three points came hot on the heels of a 2-2 draw the previous week against Western Stima.

AFC Leopards have been playing away from the pressure of Nairobi fans in Mumias, with a slim one-nil victory over basement team Nakuru Top Fry without key players Allan Wanga and Jacob Keli.

The pressure may have cooled for the moment, but with Leopards it is never too far away with coach James Nandwa well aware.

Emmanuel Filippini, the former Brescia and Lazio player, who has very limited coaching experience, will take over Nandwa next week - with the latter assisting him in yet another coaching change in the KPL this season.

Meanwhile, Tusker are racking up crucial points to stay at the top of the table; whilst Sofapaka surprisingly lost to City Stars –– with the public wondering why the team doesn’t adopt the Machakos Stadium as their full time ‘home’ base by training there too.

The league takes a break this weekend for the Top 8 knockout tournament quarterfinals; featuring AFC Leopards/Bandari in Nakuru today, and Sofapaka against defending champions Tusker at the Nyayo National Stadium tomorrow.

It was great to finally see the two new S2000 cars officially unveiled on Wednesday ahead of the KCB Kiambu Rally at the end of the month.

The two identical Proton Super 2000 rally cars will be driven by two of the most popular drivers on the national circuit, Carl ‘Flash’ Tundo and Alistair Cavanagh.       

Rally correspondent on my radio show Abdul Sidi gave me the scoop on the Malaysian cars that are set to take the Kenya rally scene by force:

It is actually called the Proton Satria Neo S2000, and they are being branded in the sponsors Menagai Oil and Dalbit Petroleum liveries.

According to Tundo, a team of mechanics will be in the country a few days before the rally to show them all aspects of the car –– with testing to be done behind the Ngong Hills the weekend before the event.

Kenya will be the first country in the African Continent to show off the new Proton Satria Neo Super 2000 car.

It is fitted with a 1.8 litre engine, with racing internals — increasing the capacity to 1998cc.

It is positioned transversely and produces a power output of 278bhp at 7,600 rpm.

The weight is 1,150 Kg for the tarmac version and 1200 Kg for the gravel version.

The transmission is a four-wheel-drive system, specifically developed by X-Trac for S2000 models, which use a six-speed sequential gearbox with three plated limited slip differentials, and handbrake release system.

Look out for the cars at the Rallye Sports Club KCB Kiambu Rally, which will feature closed roads, and the organisers have secured eight ambulances, three fire engine trucks and police.

The event will kick off with reconnaissance of the route on Friday, April 25, with the start of the rally on Saturday at noon, a night rest-halt, which will be followed by another day of action.

 

— The writer is a sport journalist and runs a consulting firm.

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