STING OF AMAVUBI: Rwanda striker wreaking havoc on KPL goalkeepers and scoring goals for fun

Football
By Robin Toskin | May 21, 2015
Gor Mahia forward Meddie Kagere wheels away from Brian Birgen of Ulinzi Stars during KPL match at City Stadium on May 2, 2015.PHOTO/DENNIS OKEYO

His name is Meddie Kagere, in case Nakuru Allstars goalkeeper Shayne Indimuli didn’t know.

He makes scoring goals look easy. The striker is having fun at financially-stricken champions Gor Mahia - scoring goals, at least.

And, he looks a strong bet to break the 18-goal ceiling set by Sofapaka’s John Baraza for Kenyan Premier League top strikers since 2012.

Always lurking lazily behind defenders before suddenly charging for the kill, Rwanda’s Amavubi striker is stinging KPL goalkeepers.

His second goal against Nakuru Allstars over the weekend will for the long haul of the season seem like the permanent ink pen with which Collins Injera wrought havoc on a cameraman’s lens at the London leg of the IRB Sevens.

The goal carried with it the surprise element long espoused by Sun Tzu, in the Art of War that: “Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”

Against All Stars, Kagere lulled Teddy Simwa into believing there was no danger – waiting for one fatal mistake called a back pass to Indimuli.

In a flash, the striker swooped, caressing the ball over the top with his right foot by pulling it away from the goalkeeper and nudged it with his left, round despairing goal minder and tucked the ball away for Gor’s fourth.

Nyayo Stadium went into a delirium and immediately Gor Mahia’s Twitter handle went bonkers.

“If you haven’t watched Meddie Kagere’s goal against N. All Stars today you are doing football wrong,” cried NICK ‏@SeweOfficial.

AzpiliCosta ‏@jah_telo wrote: “Seen Meddie Kagere’s 2nd goal against Nakuru all stars, went to cry coz you rarely see such goals in a lifetime #Gormahia 5-0.”

Whether he actually cried is a matter of conjecture.

Tom Bwana did appeal to the pantheon of greats when writing: “I have looked at that Kagere goal one more time and it is utter bliss. A wall painting. Oil painting. Even Messi will be amazed. #Sirkal.”

Yet even in the outpouring of exaltation, Kagere remains as cool as cucumber.

“In football you don’t have much time to plan. It takes a matter of seconds so you need to think quickly say in less than three seconds while retaining the vision of the end result,” Kagere told FeverPitch yesterday.

DEFENDERS’ MISTAKES

His vision is clear, as he told gormahia.net: “As a striker, I want to finish as the top scorer so I have to score more and more. That’s what brought me here.

“I will try and hit a target of 20 goals. I am happy with the goals I scored here today because they show the real instincts of a striker – you always have to take advantage of a defender’s mistake.”

With the supporting deadly duo of Ali Abondo and Michael Alunga, it will take some stopping to halt Gor Mahia’s juggernaut that has Kagere as its focal point.

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