Feature: Are foreign players helping KPL

Gor Mahia striker Erisa Ssekisambu celebrates

 

It is no doubt that in past years, foreign players have made an impact in the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) with some helping their clubs to win titles.

There was a time current champions Gor Mahia were a force to reckon with locally when they had the likes of Dan Sserunkuma, Khalid Aucho and Godfrey Walusimbi all from Uganda.

But over the years, the impact of foreign players on local teams is beginning to wane raising questions on whether clubs should focus only on building local talent.

At the beginning of this season, Gor Mahia brought in three foreign players Erisa Ssekisabu, Shafique Batambuze and Francis Mustaffa and like previous signings the three were expected to be a hit.

However, this has not been the case and Mustafa specifically has struggled to score goals. Ssekisabu who has four goals to his credit has blown hot and cold especially in big matches. Batambuze has been impressive at the back and hardly misses any match.

But in signing Jacques Tuyisenge, Gor Mahia seem to have made the right decision to pay Sh.4million two years ago for his signature. The Rwandese remains the club’s top striker and proved his pedigree with two goals against Egyptian giants Zamalek in a match Gor won 4-2.

Despite signing three foreign players in the just concluded transfer window, AFC Leopards remain rooted in the relegation zone as the impact of Eric Ndayishimiye, Yeka Tatuwe and Marcel Kaneza is yet to be felt.

Promoted side KCB spent Sh.500,000 to bring on board four foreign players but only one Gabriel Mugubo plays regularly raising doubt on the value of such signings to a team that is keen on making an impact in the top league.

Tusker coach Robert Matano Matano admits that only a few of the foreign players are helping their teams.

“In my experience, when you sign a foreign player he must be better than the local ones. That is not the case now as most of those sign are average,” he said.

Matano argues that most local clubs are forced to live with average foreign players due to lack of resources to sign quality ones.

“We get what we have because they are cheap and easily available. Furthermore, despite them being average, they are more committed than local players who do not want to work hard, miss training and sometimes look down on their coaches.

“In this case, we prefer to sign average foreign players who know they are here to earn a living and even without talent, they show a lot of commitment. That attitude makes all the difference.”

KCB assistant coach Sammy Omollo said they have already given notice to their non-performing foreign players to improve or risk being dropped in the next transfer window.

“It is only Mugubo who has been playing regularly and he has the experience having played in the Champions League with APR of Rwanda. As for the rest they have to pull up their socks or we will ask them to leave,” he warned.

Omollo blamed poor scouting for the signing of average foreign players. “We do not do scouting well, we just sign foreign players because our standards are down.”

Kakamega Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula also believes it is time to do away with foreign players.

“Let us promote our own local talent. It is the trend we are promoting at Kakamega Homeboyz but then again the local players have to wake up and work hard to keep their place.”