Kenyan clubs must seek partnerships, starting with Saints

west german team eintracht frankfurt player right in action against harambee stars at nairobi's city stadium in this 1971 photo file photo nation media group

This week, a team of coaches from English Premier League side Southampton arrived in Kenya courtesy of SportPesa for a youth training camp in partnership with Football Kenya Federation.

Naturally, coming from a top English side one wants to find out recognisable names. A quick glance at the entourage reveals no eye-catching name. Yet therein lie one important designation: Southampton Football Development Manager-Global.

The man in charge is Andrew Martino. Now let us forget the name but appreciate the position he holds is significant in the ways I will explain.

Martino’s designation got me thinking about Kenyan clubs and more so their disturbing trait of not adapting to changing times. I will use AFC Leopards, the club closest to my heart because I dreamed of donning the Blue hoops.

Well, for the benefit of Green Army folks, I was on the path to the Den when Chris Makokha (RIP) signed me for MoW Kakamega only for my apprehensive parents to scupper the dream. To them, Kenyan football offers nothing. Of course I was mad with them. It is only now that I appreciate their reasoning at the time. They were right. And this is where Southampton’s Global Football Development portfolio and AFC Leopards and Kenyan clubs’ failure to adapt, comes in.

Today, AFC Leopards cannot account for the fact that Victor Wanyama, who played for Southampton upon leaving Celtic, ever donned the famous blue and white of Ingwe.

When the Fifa development fees accruing from Wanyama’s transfer as an Under 23 from Germinal Beerschot to Celtic and eventually Southampton was being shared by clubs that documented the midfielder’s stints, Ingwe were bystanders. In any case did AFC Leopards invest anything in the lad except giving him Sh200 handout for fare after training sessions and league matches?

It is because no one at the Den wanted to be tied to contractual obligations.

Nairobi City Stars at least got some millions for just documenting Wanyama’s presence at Hope Centre, Kawangware, though we all know it is at JMJ Academy that his journey to professional football began.

Other players have gone to AFC Leopards and left, but the club has nothing to show for it. Right from the days of John Busolo, William Inganga, David ‘Cheche’ Ochieng, Patrick Oboya, Allan Wanga, Paul Were and many others have come and left the Den for a song.

Last year while at Eintrancht Frankfurt, club chairman Peter Fischer asked me whether there was another Wanyama in Kenya. I had no definite answer. It is a question Celtic, Southampton and Tottenham officials would ask. AFC Leopards and by extension other clubs should seek external linkages with English clubs. 

Our clubs need to evolve away from their 1960s gene where club constitutions provide for elective positions as mind-boggling as Organising Secretary and assistant as well as Treasurer.

The football habitat has changed, but our clubs have refused to adapt. This is exactly what happened to Sher Karuturi, which despite attempts to metamorphose from Sher Agencies or Oserian Fastac to Oserian the end result is just dying out.

Nzoia Sugar will too die if they don’t adapt to life away from their benefactors who are prone to loss making. Gone are Benham, MoW, Mumias Sugar, Rivatex, Kitale FC... the list is endless.                                         

Those alive today have a chance to survive.