Kenya’s Dennis Oliech agrees to play against Malawi

By Robin Toskin

In a show of the highest degree of patriotism, aggrieved star striker Dennis Oliech has agreed to rescind his decision to retire from the national football team Harambee Stars.

The AJ Auxerre striker is holding out for compensation from East African Breweries Limited, who he says exploited his image rights through a billboard.

But after the behind the scenes charm offensive by Football Kenya Federation, the in-form striker who plundered 10 goals for relegated Auxerre, the veteran hit man agreed to put country before self, at least for now as a solution is sought.

A statement from FKF last evening read: “Football Kenya Federation hereby wishes to inform all football fans that arising from a meeting held today, May 28 between National Chairman Sam Nyamweya, NEC member Tom Onyango Alila and the family of Denis Oliech, I am happy to announce that Denis Oliech will report to the MISC Kasarani training camp to join his team mates.”

Asked whether FKF had met Oliech’s demands, Nyamweya said: “It is an on-going process. We agreed that he plays as we explore other avenues to put to rest this issue.”

Nyamweya added: “I am humbled by Denis and his family for showing patriotism and wish to assure all players that the federation will continue to fight for their welfare.”

But even as the striker returns to the Harambee Stars fold, the question remains as to whether the EABL-FKF three-year Sh110 million sponsorship of the national team Harambee Stars is a curse or a blessing?

Like the Coca Cola bottle in Jamie Uys’ God’s Must Be Crazy, for which the Bushmen found many uses of it, the beverage container equally stoked feelings of jealousy, envy, anger, hatred and even violence among Xi’s kin and kith.

For Oliech, MacDonald Mariga, Bob Mugalia and the fans, it has stoked anger.

FeverPitch’s phone calls to EABL’s Marketing Director Carol Ndung’u went unanswered, but sources familiar with the negotiations that yielded the deal said: “EABL played its part as a responsible corporate by giving FKF a Sh40 million head start every year for the next three years.”

The source added: “Above all the contract does not stop FKF from approaching other sponsors except another beer maker. It is FKF’s duty to meet the short fall by approaching other sponsors.”

FKF on its part, however, argues the deal was inherently skewed for it was “hurriedly put together before the elections last October which swept in the current office.”

EABL sealed the deal in principle with the defunct Football Kenya Limited and Harambee Stars Management Board sometime in September last year, a month to the Fifa-supervised elections, before unveiling it on February 12.

Asked why he did not tear up the agreement if it did not suit the federation and instead signed a novation agreement to take it up, FKF chairman Nyamweya said: “How could I? So that this can be used againstme that I declined what was already in the bag? No way. The truth is there are issues, which I am confident we shall overcome with all the parties involved.”

According to sources in FKF, of the Sh40 million due to the federation, EABL retains Sh20 million for promotional and activation programmes on the run up to Stars’ matches.