Kenyan clubs should dare to host regional contests

Lepards’ Abdalla Juma controls the ball as player of Academie Tchite from Burundi tackles him during the Nile Basin Cup quarter-final tie at the Khartoum Stadium Wednesday evening . [PHOTO: COURTESY]

A  man called Gamal Alwali is the reason why Omdurman soccer club Al Merreikh is such an exciting outfit. They have clout in mass following, physical assets such as a magnificent stadium, and ability to buy good players from all over Africa.

In the last few days they were eying AFC Leopards Kenya striker, Allan Wanga, and according to Nicholas Musonye, the Cecafa secretary general who is a Kenyan, “the deal as good as done.” Musonye said interest on Wanga was “at the very highest level,” in the Merreikh management.

There were times in the past when Kenya were the popular destination of Cecafa football. Kenya did not only wait their turn to be hosts but whenever another Cecafa member was unable to play the role due to financial or security constraint; Kenya was the saviour.

It is a role individuals or clubs in Sudan these days take up. One such is Alwali’s Al Merreikh club who hosted a very successful Cecafa Kagame Club Cup tournament in 2009 – attended by Kenya’s Tusker and Mathare United.

a dozen clubs

The idea that a Kenya club such as Gor Mahia or AFC Leopards can contemplate inviting, ferrying and accommodating a dozen clubs to a competition for two weeks in Kenya is implausible.

Al Merreikh had recently closed down their stadium for refurbishment and to mark resumption of activity, staging of the Nile Basin Cup tournament was mooted.

For Alwali, as chairman of Al Merreikh, it is the thing any football loving soccer lead should do ­­— bring people together to enjoy competition.

Money allowing is, however, the caveat even for those with best intentions in the game. They say Alwali has pots of money and hence the lifeline of Al Merreikh. So have individuals of the clubs that head similar ones in Africa such as TP Mazembe (Moise Katumbi), Orlando Pirates (Irvin Khoza) and Kaizer Chiefs (Kaizer Motaung’).

The intention by Al Merreikh was that after this year’s inauguration, for the Nile Basin Cup to become an annual event. But there always twists and turns. Egyptian clubs Arab Contractors and Al Masry were to be involved but regrettably withdraw after what organisers said were “demands unreasonably steep.”

It will be entirely up to Al Merreikh and Alwali whether a follow-up edition will be there next year. But the bug of hosting Cecafa competitions, after last year’s very successful staging of the Cecafa Kagame Club in North Darfur and South Kordofan here in Sudan has bitten the Sudanese.

An Under-23 competition for Cecafa nations’ Olympic team will take place in Sudan in September. One of the venues will be El Obeid City, capital of North Kordofan where Ahmed Haroun, formerly soccer supporting Governor of South Kordofan is man in charge.

“Running football competitions is expensive and in our region any hosts find it a challenge. Sometimes, like for Kenya in the past, it was easier for some member countries than for others. If Sudan are able to do this for now, other members appreciate,” said Musonye.

The Cecafa Club Championship takes place in Rwanda on August  9-23 after a while. Rwandese have been the saviour of the competition.

President Paul Kagame provides annual prize money of Sh5.2 million and his Government has already given out to the organisers Sh17 million for the early preparations at which Kenya champions Gor Mahia will be making return.

“The Rwanda Government money is a major extra boost since we shall be having other sponsors, including our television partners, SuperSport, and it will be a good tournament,” said Musonye.