Kenya Wasting a Huge Opportunity Ahead of the 2010 World Cup?

Kenya needs to get their act together.

The country's had an abundance of problems the past few years.

From two competing football leagues to a FIFA suspension, the people running Kenyan football can't seem to figure out how to make football work in their country.

It's a pity, too. The 2010 World Cup is an economic bonanza waiting to happen.

The East African nation could gain financially from teams planning to come to the country to acclimate themselves before proceeding to South Africa for the 2010 finals.

It's strategically placed to attract teams who want to take advantage of the high altitude and visit world-famous tourist sites ahead of the tournament.

However, due to a lack of adequate international stadiums and never-ending political strife, there could be problems.

Football Kenya (FKL) technical director Patrick Naggi said Kenya, being a tourist hub in Africa had shot itself in the foot through its approach at marketing itself and the failure to upgrade its sports facilities to attract teams.

"We have not done enough as a nation. There is too much bickering among the politicians over petty issues," said Naggi.

"Instead of working together to compliment their efforts, they are busy fighting each other. Our football has also taken the same route. We are all to blame."

The Kenya government has pumped 30 million shillings (225,000 dollars) towards the maintenance of the national stadiums, of which there are two - both in Nairobi - which can be adjusted to international standards.

The Sports Minister Helen Sambili is due to name a high-level committee, composed of officials from her office and the ministry of tourism to look into exploring ways to exploit the World Cup to the country's advantage.

But one top official in her ministry conceded that time was running out.

"The concerns are well-founded and understandable since the World Cup is just less than ten months away. We have to move very fast," Benjamin Sogomo, the new chief executive of the Sports Stadia Management Board (SSMB) told AFP.

One of the main objectives the committee will be tasked is to convince some of the top teams to base themselves in Kenya prior to the tournament.

But although Nairobi is only four hours away from South Africa, the inadequate training facilities may put the whole process into jeopardy.

Due to the favorable climatic conditions, the national teams of Cameroon, Ghana and Nigeria, have in the past opted to hold their training preparations in Kenya before traveling to play their away qualification matches.

But this appears highly unlikely before the 2010 World Cup as competition from the neighboring countries such as Mozambique, Angola and Botswana, which have already embarked on massive construction in readiness for the big event, may sway their national federations to move away.

But Naggi believes Kenya could still have attracted national sides from South America and even Europe, especially the Italian and German teams because of the huge business investments in the Kenyan coastal region, owned and managed by nationals from the two countries.

"I am sure a team like Brazil would be very keen to come here. They show a lot about Kenya in Brazil," said Naggi, who spent three months in the South American nation training as a football coach in 1999.

"Coming from sea level, they would have taken advantage of our high-altitude and by the time they move to South Africa, they will have gained in their performances over the other teams.

"The two countries also share the same multi-ethnic backgrounds and the diversity of the natural resources and heritage. But unlike them, we don't have the numerous training grounds and stadiums they would require to set up their training camp here," he added.

With the exception of the Nyayo National stadium, which is currently under suspension from FIFA for failing to meet its safety standards, the only other world class facility is the Moi International sports centre, on the northern outskirts of the Kenyan capital.

Final Phase of African World Cup Qualifying Continues

Africa's road to the 2010 World Cup heats up this weekend with a full slate of action as countries compete for the 5 available spots in South Africa.

There are already some teams in trouble.

Like Cameroon and Morocco, who have collectively qualified for nine previous World Cup finals. Also in peril are reigning African champions Egypt and the unpredictable Guinea, both of whom were expected to feature among the serious contenders for the finals.

The first match day in March provided a host of surprises. With two more matches in quick succession this month, the picture could soon become a lot clearer.

Both Cameroon and Morocco were humbled in their opening group outings and now go head-to-head in Yaoundé on Sunday. Egypt, having dropped potentially vital points at home, seek to revive their campaign away against long-standing rivals Algeria.

Guinea hope to overturn a run of five successive defeats in head-to-head matches with Ivory Coast when they host a Group E tie in Cotonou, also on Sunday.

Of particular interest is the Group B clash between Kenya and Nigeria.

Nigeria's Super Eagles came under heavy criticism following their opening draw with Mozambique but their recent friendly win over France has restored morale.

Now they are at home against Kenya, whose own build-up has been disrupted by a pay dispute between their coach Antoine Hey and Football Kenya Ltd., which runs the game in the country.

The team left for Nigeria without him but he is now on his way.

Hey is planning to exploit the perceived differences within the Nigeria camp.

"I think they [Nigeria] are very much under pressure at home after the result in Mozambique," Hey said. "We will try and get a result that no-one is expecting," he told the BBC.

Here are the current African qualifying standings.

Over in Group D, Ghana were at the World Cup in Germany and the Black Stars gained a taste for the biggest stage.

They started this round of qualifying with a win but will be missing a series of high-profile players in their squad for a trip to Mali.

Sulley Muntari, Stephen Appiah, Derek Boateng, Asamoah Gyan and Laryea Kingston are all out of action.

Mali's coach Stephen Keshi will have high hopes of securing a valuable win as he goes into the game with a fully fit squad.

In the other match in this group, Benin host Sudan, who must turn themselves around after a heavy 4-0 defeat in a friendly international against Tunisia.

Benin are hopeful of continuing the good form they showed in the previous round, after their narrow defeat by Ghana.

Squirrels' midfielder Romauld Boco says the team are in good spirits.

"We have played a lot better in the last 5 years, [because] we are the same group of players and we know each other very well," he told the BBC.

"The game against Sudan is the most important game for us."

The top team in each group goes to the World Cup.

Here are all the matches scheduled for this weekend:
Saturday 6 June 

Zambia-Rwanda, Malawi-Burkina Faso, Gabon-Togo, Tunisia-Mozambique

Sunday 7 June

Cameroon-Morocco, Benin-Sudan, Nigeria-Kenya, Guinea-Cote d'Ivoire, Mali-Ghana, Algeria-Egypt

Kenya Coach Boycotts Nigeria Trip

Kenya's coach Antoine Hey boycotted the team's trip to Abuja, Nigeria for Sunday's World Cup qualifying match against the Super Eagles, a day after Kenya's players protested over non-payment of their allowances.

Hey arrived at the airport 30 minutes after the plane had taken off, saying he'd been held up in the traffic. But later, Hey revealed that he deliberately boycotted traveling with the team after Football Kenya Limited failed to pay him his salary.

The team's physical trainer, Kamal Harat also joined the head coach in the boycott over non-payment of their salaries. The assistant coach Swaleh Muhiddin had left for Nigeria earlier in the week, and will now possibly handle the team in the absence of Hey, who was appointed in February this year.

His short tenure has been surrounded by quarrels with Kenya's premier league clubs, which have almost derailed the national team’s preparations for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

Since he was appointed, Harambee Stars have only played one international match - against Tunisia in March - which they lost 2-1.

The Hey snub comes a day after Kenya's players boycotted training on Tuesday, demanding to be paid their allowances after being in the camp for three weeks.

But yesterday the government, through the Minister of Youth and Sports Hellen Sambili, settled their allowance claims by presenting 2.7 million Kenya shillings ($34,730) to Harambee Stars captain Musa Otieno.

MY POV: Strange times for Kenya football. But isn't that always the case?

So will he show up? If he does, how will Kenya do against a motivated Nigerian side?
If he doesn't, who coaches the side? And how will the team be affected by not having their trainer there?

2010 World Cup Reading List

Only 393 days until the 2010 World Cup starts!
Excited? Have your tickets yet?

My computer's been broken the past few weeks. So I've no idea what the latest news is concerning the world's biggest sporting event.

Instead of regurgitating a load of news, here's a list of required reading to get you all caught up, complete with my oh-so-witty commentary ...

1 - Q and A with New York Times writer and ‘Outcasts United’ author Warren St. John.

If you haven't read John's initial piece about the Fugees youth soccer team from Clarkson, GA, do yourself the favor and get to it. It's a wonderful article about a 'group of youth soccer players in a small southern town who came from some of the most war-ravaged places on earth.'

Since the article was written in 2006, John's gone on to publish a book about the team. Not about the World Cup, but certainly about the powerful affect of football on people, a team and a community.

2 - Rapper AKON is writing the 2010 World Cup anthem.

“I’ve been hired as musical director for the World Cup,” he told the Daily Mirror. “I will be overseeing the World Cup anthem and music at the ceremonies and I’m off to South Africa this week for meetings. I love soccer so it’s a great honor.”

3 - Kenya's players will receive 1 million Kenyan shillings if they qualify for the World Cup.

That works out to about $13,000 American dollars. Yes, please ...

4 - This is truly an African World Cup. Mauritius has teamed up with FIFA to join Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland and hosts South Africa in a top line-up of accommodation providers.

The initiative forms part of FIFA's and the Local Organizing Committee's objective to host an African World Cup and make sure that the entire Southern African region benefits from the global football showpiece.

"We always said it is Africa's World Cup. To be part of the 2010 accommodation program is a great marketing opportunity for the tourism industry in the entire Southern African region to directly benefit from the World Cup. Mauritius and the other Southern African countries in the accommodation team have the unique chance to showcase fans from all over the world during the four weeks between June 11 and July 11, 2010 the splendid and diverse landscapes and the incredible hospitality the region has to offer," explained FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke.

5 - Big news as far as the African domestic game goes, as Al Ahly coach Manuel Jose has resigned and taken over the Angola coaching post.

In his six years in charge, Ahly won the African Champions League four times.

Angola hosts the 2010 African Cup of Nations next January.

Top 10 African Youngsters at the 2010 World Cup

My friend Tom Legg has a keen eye for talent. He's often telling me about this new prodigy or that new wunderkind that I should be keeping my eye on. He knows more about the Beautiful Game than just about anyone I know!

With that in mind, I asked him if he'd share a post he recently started on the famous soccer forum BigSoccer.com about the Top 10 African Youngsters every one will be talking about come the 2010 World Cup.

I hope to share more of Tom's insights with you in the future.

With that in mind, take it away Tom!
*********************************************************************

I started a review of the top 10 African prospects back in 2005 and have only recently begun updating my initial reviews of them. For those of you interested in joining in on the discussions, please visit the forum post here.


The list below highlights some of the best under-23 African players and other young players I expect to be on your lips, and the lips of many European pundits come the end of the 2010 World Cup:

1. Taye Taiwo (Olympique de Marseille/Nigeria): Over the last three season Taye has made the left back berth at OM - and Nigeria - his own. Although his development into a 'battering ram' attacking full-back has drawn praise from some quarters, its his defensive limitations - positioning, lapses in concentration and slow in the transition - that have deterred English and Italian suitors. He is without doubt a fantastic left back on his day; a pocket rocket with a shot to match, strong in the tackle etc., I only hope he gets the opportunity to move to a Premiership club at the end of this season to aid his development further as I for one would love to see him blossom into a excellent - all-round - left back in time for the 2010 World Cup.

2. John Obi Mikel (Chelsea/Nigeria): Being a Man Utd fan I should resent John Obi for what he did to us prior to joining Chelsea, but I don't. Over the last two season John seems to have finally settled down in London, securing a place - in the absence of the excellent Michael Essien - in the heart of the Chelsea midfield. But for those of us who watched John in his earlier years at Lyn, there is a hint of disappointment when I see him sitting in front of that Chelsea defense, void of creative duties. Of course he is currently not a spot on Frank Lampard as an attacking option in the middle, but give the lad a chance at least. The Chelsea fans I know are still not keen on him, generally speaking, but that's mainly due to them never seeing him played consistently in a position that suits him best. Saying this, I do believe he could turn out to be a more than effective defensive midfielder, if Chelsea decide to settle on that role for him and coach in accordingly. But there will always be a hint of ‘what if’ in my mind when I see him play. Lets hope in the next two season he can settle into a position and begin to convince the doubters out there. He certainly has the potential.

3. Alex Song (Arsenal/Cameroon): The defensive midfielder is seen as the most utilitarian player in the Arsenal first team this season, playing right back, defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder, central defender and left winger. For those of you who have not had the pleasure to watch the young Cameroonian play, imagine a player with the squad standing of John O’Shea (Man Utd) but double the ability (Man Utd fans out there, don’t you dare even think of retorting to that statement).



Without a doubt, Alex’s best position is sitting in front of the back four doing all the dirty work. The 21 year old's determination and sheer power in the tackle has made him a fan's favorite at the Emirates; during Arsenal’s ‘purple patch’ at the end of 08, Alex was one of the few players void of criticism from all of my Gooner “friends”. Similar in some cases to John Obi, let us all hope that Alex can find his place at Arsenal in the next two seasons, in time to impress us all in South Africa.

4. Jonathan Quartey (Kaizer Chiefs/Ghana): Currently playing for Kaizer Chiefs; to be honest, I haven't seem Jon play for a while. But the move to Kaizer's in 2008 is a positive step for the 20 year old. The PSL will give the central defender a good development platform and chance of being scouted to play in Europe; most likely France or England. ‘Giant Jon’ as he’s know in Ghana is a product of the famous Liberty Football Academy and first caught my eye at the 2005 U17 World Cup in Peru. A player who from an early age resisted the chance to move to Europe, preferring to develop in an environment where he's guaranteed first team football, Jon is a player with a firm grasp on his present and future development. He recently made his debut for the national team in Ghana’s opening World Cup Qualifying game against Benin.

5. Isaac Promise (Nigeria/Trabzonspor): Captained the fabulous Nigeria side in the Beijing Olympics last year and impressed several European/Nigerian scouts/officials at the competition. Currently playing for Trabzonspor - one of the top five in Turkey - and doing very well indeed. He has blossomed into a typical number 9, good on the ball, fantastic positional awareness and good first touch. The one thing he lacks at the moment? A decent goal ratio. A move to Germany or France would aid the 21 year old's progression greatly.

6. Stephan Mbia (Rennes/Cameroon): Regarded as one of the best all round midfielders in France, Mbia and Song will be the foundation for Cameroon’s midfield for the next 10 years. Song’s power, combined with Mbia’s unbelievable engine is a combination most international sides would be more then happy to have.


The 22 year old is regularly linked with moves to the Premiership; Newcastle, Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd, Tottenham and Everton who have all been keeping tabs on the energetic midfielder over the past two seasons. If he doesn’t move this summer, I will eat my hat and scarf!

7. Gervinho (Le Mans/Ivory Coast): The 21 year old forward is on a fast-track to success; he has already made 3 appearances for the Ivory Coast and is continually linked with the big clubs in France and Premiership giants Arsenal. By no means a prolific striker the young Ivorian is usually deployed as a support striker/winger. The worry I have for him is that the Ivorians are blessed with options on the wings and upfront; Baki Kone, Drogba, Kalou, Sanogo, Sekou Cisse, Arouna Kone, Dindane, the list goes on. I really hope Vahid takes a chance with the speedy Gervinho and includes him in the squad.

8. Andre Ayew (OM/Ghana): Son of Ghana legend Abedi Pele, Andre has been causing waves for Ghanaian youth sides over the past season. Dede - as he’s know - captained the U20 side to victory in the African U20 championships in Rwanda earlier this year and impressed continental and international pundits with his performances. Like Gervinho, Dede is regularly used as a winger/second striker for both club and country.


A quick turn of pace, good eye for goal and a decent box of tricks, he should develop into a more than useful asset for the Ghanaian national side. My worry with Dede is his build; relatively short and slightly built there are times when simply disappears in more physical games. For me he has to address this as the foremost area of development in his game if he's to be a success in South Africa.

9. Clifford Mulenga (Zambia/Bidvest Wits): Voted CAF Best Young Player in 2008, Zambia’s Ryan Giggs is one of Zambian football's biggest superstars. The speedy winger was, in his youth, linked to such clubs are Real Madrid and Lyon but the player has suffered from an hugely inflated opinion of himself over the past few seasons. His ability to striker fear into the eyes of covering defenders with his direct style of play has won over some Zambian journalists, but his petulance and ego leads him to over do the basics and frustrate team mates at club and international level. He has undoubted potential, and at 21 has plenty of time to grow up and realize that talent. Let's hope a World Cup stage will allow him to do that.

10. Anthony Annan (Rosenborg/Ghana): You may all rave about Ghana’s midfield three of Appiah, Essien and Muntari; but the apple of my eye is 22 year old Anthony Annan. I have saved the best for last folks, he’s brilliant in the tackle, quick in the transition and he will be coming to a TV screen near you in 2010. Those who worry that the decline of Stephan Appiah will have a detrimental effect on the Ghanian side, worry no more! With Appiah sitting in front of the defense - unable to move those old legs of his, Annan and Essien will do all the running... and then some.


Annan could become everything that Michael Essien has developed into, and more; his range of passing is far superior to Essien, with the young Rosenborg defender as comfortable with a 40 yard pass then he is with a 5 yard one. I hope for Ghana’s sake they play five across the middle when defending, then allow two; Muntari and Essien/Annan to bomb forward and support a loan striker.

Besides the players above there are two other players that you will not be seeing in 2010, but should hear more about in the coming two seasons.

Mcdonald Mariga and Osmane Jallow.

Osmane (Brondby/Gambia) is one of Gambian football's best kept secrets. Jallow currently plays for the famous Brondby IF in Sweden. Netted 5 in 10 this season and one Brondby fan I know has said the tall and agile Gambian is already a fan favorite. After a spell in Qatar with Al Ain and then Raja Casablanca, he made the move to Sweden at the start of this season. Already a full international with Gambia - 3 games and 1 goal - Jallow is one African player who's stock is rising by the game. He hit 11 in 15 for Al Ain and 15 in 19 for Raja. This kid is going places people. I've seen one league game this season - Brondby against SønderjyskE - where Jallow scored a sublime over-head kick. Big, quick and with a goals ratio to write home about, the striker will no doubt be on the radars of some of Europe’s elite this coming summer.

McDonald Mariga (Parma/Kenya) has not only blossomed into one of Parma's best players this season, but one of Serie B's most consistent and impressive midfielders. The tall midfielder was already on the verge of a Premiership move in 2007, but his £2.7 million pound move to Pompey broke down due to work permit problems. He moved to Parma instead, initially on loan, but impressed so much that cash strapped Parma decided to splash the cash on Mariga and make his move permanent.


This season's performances have drawn speculation that the midfielder will move to new pastures in the summer, with AC Milan and Juventus the most likely destinations. I only hope that if he does move in the summer, he will not be warming benches in Turn and Milan next season.

Kenya's Kits Lost!

Kenya just can't seem to catch a break.

First, their football association splits in two. Then, FIFA suspended the country from World Cup and Nations Cup qualifying over their association mess.

They've reorganized their house and are all square with FIFA. So what should happen ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Tunisia on Saturday?

They've lost their kits!

Three sets of kit and 2,000 balls have mysteriously disappeared and now have to be replaced in time for Saturday's fixture.

Some in the Kenyan Football Association see this as a blessing.

With the kit disappearing, replica kit sales will be boosted as the original kit will have to be replaced by replicas.

According to Nairobi's Standard newspaper, Kenyan officials were forced to go out on Thursday and shell out unnecessary cash on replacement kits as their was no time to have new ones made.

MY POV: Can Kenya ever catch a break? Talk about bad luck!

Hey: Kenya Can Get to 2010 World Cup

We've often chronicled the ups and downs of Kenyan football.
Now, with new coach Antoine Hey in place, Kenya is not only looking for on and off-field stability but a place in the 2010 World Cup.

Hey thinks he can lead them there.

The final group phase gets underway at the end of March, with Kenya's Harambee Stars hosting Tunisia in a group that also includes Nigeria and Mozambique.

The team that tops the group qualifies for the 2010 World Cup, and the top three will go to the 2010 African Cup of Nations finals.

While a Nations Cup place would seem a realistic target, Hey is thinking big.

"We are six games away from the World Cup. We are about to rewrite history because we are not aiming at anything less," he said.

"We must join the best teams in the world when the World Cup comes to Africa for the first time."

Hey was appointed last month to replace sacked local coach Francis Kimanzi, who guided the Harambee Stars into the final qualifying round.

He was most recently in charge of Liberia, having also had spells with Lesotho and Gambia.

Hey has named a 28-player squad for the Tunisia match that includes the recall of former captain Musa Otieno, a South Africa-based defender who had retired from international competition.

He has also named fellow German Kemal Halat, who was with him in Liberia, as his assistant, and Kenyan, Razak Siwa as goalkeepers' coach.

Kenya's hopes of beating Tunisia, however, suffered a setback after French club AJ Auxerre said striker Dennis Oliech would not be available due to injury.

Kenya, FIFA Agree to Agree

The world soccer governing body FIFA and the country of Kenya have had their share of issues over the years.

Finally, it looks like they're going to agree to agree and try to fix the situation.

FIFA recognizes one group of administrators, known as Football Kenya Limited or FKL.

The Kenyan government deals with a rival group - which claims to be the legitimate Kenya Football Federation (KFF).

Now a joint committee will be formed to run Kenyan football for most of 2009.

The committee - which is likely to be formed from a combination of FKL and KFF officials - will have a nine-month mandate.

Representatives of FIFA will arrive in Nairobi shortly to complete the agreement, which was announced by the country's sports minister, Helen Sambili.

The minister said the committee would be operating before Kenya face Tunisia in the opening game of the final round of World Cup qualifiers at the end of March.

They will play Nigeria and Mozambique as well as Tunisia in 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

Kenya Football Limited recently sacked the coach of the national team, Francis Kimanzi.

They said he had refused to take charge of planned friendly matches and had also refused to give interviews to the media.

The government has called for his reinstatement.

MY POV: Clearly, this is only the first step in resolving this tenuous issue. Someone needed to step in and fix this mess. No one's better than FIFA for that much ... The question is: Why did it take so long? Sad, really ...

Kenya's Mathare United Inspires

The Kenyan election crisis was one of the most talked-about news stories of 2008.
The political, economic, and humanitarian crisis that erupted in the East African nation cost over 1,000 people their lives and displaced close to 250,000.

A year later, things haven't gotten easier. Many are still displaced and ethnic violence is still only a dispute away.

Still, there was something to revel in this past November when the Mathare Youth Sports Association's (MYSA) adult team Mathare United won the Kenyan national championship.

Mathare is one of the largest slums in Nairobi, Kenya's capital city. It houses close to 500,000 in an area without sanitation, running water, electricity or trash collection.

David Goldblatt, the wonderful author the best-selling book on football history, The Ball is Round: The Global History of Football, traveled with the team to Muhroni in the Western Kenyan highlands, where they faced Agro Chemicals, the works team of the local sugar plantation. Mathare United needed just a draw or better from the game to win the Kenyan football league for the first time in their history.

His account makes for a wonderful tale of redemption and the human spirit. Please check out the BBC story of his travels and make sure to listen to the podcast for a more in-depth view of life in Kenya and Kenyan football.

As Goldblatt, puts it after Mathare clinched the championship, 'The Mathare players celebrated, danced and sang and the home crowd decided to join in too and flooded the pitch. On the team bus back to the hotel, thousands of texts seemed to arrive on every player's phone, as Mathare and the other slums of Nairobi celebrated. Despite the poverty and the spectre of ethnic violence, Mathare United's triumph is testament to the amazing talents and energies of Kenya's poor.'

Please make sure to check out this wonderful story.

Kenya, Burundi Advance in CECAFA Cup

Kenya snatched a 1-0 win over Burundi on Thursday as both teams moved into the semi-finals of the CECAFA Challenge Cup in Uganda.

What's the Challenge Cup, you ask?

Let your friendly, neighborhood blogger answer that for you ...

According to Wikipedia, the Cup:

is the oldest football (soccer) tournament in Africa. It is a tournament of FIFA and the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA), and includes national teams from Central and East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Zanzibar, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi and Djibouti).

In 2005 and 2006 the tournament was sponsored by Ethiopian/Saudi billionaire Sheikh Mohammed Al Amoudi, and was dubbed the Al Amoudi Senior Challenge Cup.

It is the successor tournament of the Gossage Cup, held 37 times from 1926 until 1966, and the East and Central African Senior Challenge Cup, held 7 times between 1965 and 1971.

Pretty cool, eh?

Kenya's Harambee Stars topped Group B after seeing off the Burundians at the Nakivubo War Memorial Stadium in Kampala.

According to the BBC:

The decisive goal came in the 60th minute when Osborne Monday slotted in a penalty after goalkeeper Abu Ndayisenga had fouled Kenyan striker Francis Ouma.

Kenya's stand-in coach Yusuf Chipo said afterwards that his team is good enough to go all the way and win this annual regional event.

He attributed the performance of his team to the good playing surface at Nakivubo stadium.

Gilbert Kanyenkorem, the Burundi coach, said he was pleasantly surprised to finish second behind a "strong" Kenyan team.

In an earlier Group B encounter, Sudan beat Zambia 2-0 but the win could not prevent the Sudanese from picking up the wooden spoon.

Sudan scored after 33 minutes when captain Abdulhamid Amari finished off an excellent move involving Balla Jabir and Safeldin Ali.

Eltahib Elmani then added a second just after the break as it became apparent that the Zambians were struggling to find their 'A' game.

Zambia could have got a consolation goal had Roger Kola's shot not been brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Akram Echadi.

Football. You learn something new every day ...

South Africa Not Only Country Ready for 2010

I've been here and there on Road to 2010 for too long.
Time to step it up ...

The 2010 World Cup in South Africa is fast approaching. And while South Africa is keen to reap financial benefits from staging the world's biggest sporting event, it's not the only country in Africa that feels this way.

Countries like Namibia, Botswana and Zambia have embarked on campaigns to persuade teams and their fans to visit them before the World Cup begins.

Even Kenya, which is a four hour flight away from Johannesburg, is hoping for some of the action.

As South Africa continues its preparations to host football's showpiece event, a similar - if less frantic - process is taking place across its borders.

An example involves tourism officials from Namibia, who were highly visible at a recent football convention held in Johannesburg.

Namibian officials are hoping that football supporters heading to South Africa in 2010 will also spend time, and money, in their country.

Shareen Thude from the Namibian Tourist Board wants the whole region to benefit.

"I personally do not see Namibia as competing with Zambia or Botswana or any country in the region. Southern Africa as a brand is very strong it's a very very powerful brand," she said.

"I think there's a lot of potential for all of us. Each country will sell on our own particular strength and our own particular niche and present our own unique positioning," she added.

Namibia and other southern African countries are concentrating their efforts on boosting tourism.

In contrast Kenya wants to attract one of the qualified teams to base itself in Nairobi prior to the tournament.

Sam Mwai has the task of convincing a leading football nation to get its players to stop off in Kenya on their way to the World Cup.

"We do have two world class facilities in Nairobi. Nairobi altitude is similar to Johannesburg and a few other cities in South Africa," he said.

"We're offering those teams a chance to fly out of Europe, South America, Asia, acclimatise in Nairobi for a few days, do a bit of training, sight seeing, and then fly down for the World Cup, it's only a four hour flight from Nairobi to Joburg," he added.

He said such an eventuality would be wonderful for a football mad nation such as Kenya.

It is an ambitious target, but countries like Kenya and those closer to South Africa are hopeful the 2010 legacy will extend beyond the world cup hosts.

MY POV: This is exactly how the World Cup can reap benefits for the entire continent. As has been stated before, this isn't just South Africa's World Cup. This is Africa's World Cup ... it's great to see the ingenuity of Namibia and Kenya's tourism boards as they try to garner visitors to their great countries.

I really believe they're doing a great job getting people to at least recognize what they have to offer ahead of the 2010 Cup ...

West Ham 'Keeper's Holiday in Kenya

It's not often that a professional footballer uses his time off from the game to give back to the community.

Much too often, the footballer is involved in a transfer saga, a money dispute or something worse.

So it was with great respect and admiration that I read this article in Saturday's Independent newspaper about the exploits of West Ham goalkeeper Ron Green's volunteering holiday in Nairobi, Kenya.

Instead of 'boring myself on different beaches' as Green puts it, he wanted to explore and see parts of the world he might not otherwise see.

So he made off to Kenya, a country recently embroiled in political violence.

Once there, Green's view on life changed. His perspective shifted and one might say he grew great admiration for the people in the slums of Nairobi.

Here's a small excerpt of the article. For the entire article, please click here ...

I would be able to experience something different, something that I could learn from, appreciate a whole different level of life. And, most importantly to me, perhaps I could even use the status of a Premier League footballer for some good.

Playing professional football you surround yourself in a bubble. For 11 months of the year you don't have a choice of truly experiencing real life. Having left school and gone straight into football, I have played almost every day of my adult life. As far as lives go, I admit I have a pretty great one. But as far as life experiences go, it has been of fairly limited scope.

In a similar way, life as a footballer is self-focused. It can be easy to take for granted the life that you lead. Focusing on the negatives, not appreciating what you have, things that anyone in the western world could be guilty of. As a footballer you live on challenges, whether they are set by fans, managers, media, the opposition or yourself. This summer I wanted something to challenge the habits, thoughts, and beliefs that I had built into myself after 12 years of full-time football.

So around Christmas last year I approached a number of charities with my thoughts on how I wanted to use my summer break. Amref (the African Medical Research Foundation) came across as positive and active and saw my interest as an opportunity they could make something of: to use football and, in particular, the popularity of the Premier League as a vehicle to spread their Aids, HIV, health and peace messages.

More Problems for Kenya

Kenya just can't seem to get their act together.

Kenya's place in qualifying for the World Cup and African Cup of Nations in 2010 is under threat because of a recent court ruling, according to football's world governing body FIFA.

The Kenyan court decided that a group of administrators not recognized by FIFA should be considered executives of the Kenyan Football Federation (KFF).

FIFA says the individuals concerned were appointed by a previous sports minister, against its rules.

FIFA does not allow government interference in the running of the sport and says it wants immediate action to reverse the situation.

It also says the headquarters of the KFF, which FIFA paid for, has been "taken over by non-recognised individuals".

FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke imposed a deadline of 72 hours from Monday for its approved administrators to be registered.

If that is not achieved then Kenya's place in World Cup qualifying would be seriously under threat. Again ...

"In the absence of a swift reaction...to stop this blatant interference in football internal affairs, FIFA will have to consider all options", Valcke wrote in a letter to the man it still considers to be the leader of the KFF, Mohammed Hatimy (pictured above).

"These latest events jeopardize the organisation of the forthcoming FIFA 2010 World Cup and CAF ACN 2010 qualifying matches."

Kenya are due to play Guinea, Namibia and Zimbabwe in their group, starting against Namibia at the beginning of next month.

MY POV: When will the people running the sport in Kenya get their act together? This sort of situation seems to take place every month in this nation.

While it's true that the nation's been involved in matters more pertinent than football the past few months, one would think the people running the sport would be able to do just that - run the sport.

Unfortunately, too many hands are in the cookie jar. Kenya can't seem to get it together and it may cost them in the end.

Sad, sad news.

Cup of Nations is Around the Corner

The venues are being scrubbed clean, the tickets are printed and the cities are bubbling with anticipation.

The African Cup of Nations is but a mere 2 weeks and 2 days away from taking over the minds and hearts of football fans around the globe.

Cup finalists begin their pre-tournament preparations in earnest this weekend, led by defending champions Egypt who host Namibia in a friendly.

Saturday's match in Aswan is the first of three warm-up matches for the Pharaohs, still sweating on the availability of star striker Mido.

The Middlesbrough forward has a knee injury and is unsure of his fitness for the tournament, which starts January 20.

Namibia play their first match under Dutch coach Arie Schans, who has had less than a month to work with the team. His predecessor, the Zambian Ben Bamchuile died at the end of last month, casting a shadow over Namibia's preparations.

All but two of the 16 finalists will play warm-up internationals over the next three weeks before the tournament kick off.

Cameroon had planned a match against Kenya in Nairobi but the post-election violence in the east African country have seen the Indomitable Lions switch their preparations to Burkina Faso. To date, they have no matches planned and will not have played an international since their last qualifier in September.

Guinea play no warm-up internationals but will get match practice against club opposition in Marbella, Spain, where they will begin preparations next week. Among their planned opponents are Fiorentina and Borussia Dortmund. Heady competition, no?

Nigeria and Sudan are training in Malaga while Benin have gone to Brazil for a 10-day camp before heading to Burkina Faso for a warm-up match against Senegal on Jan. 17.

Angola have been in Portugal since before Christmas for their preparations.
Tunisia host Zambia at Rades on Sunday before a flurry of fixtures next week, which sees matches in Abu Dhabi, Spain, Portugal, Morocco and South Africa.

Under FIFA rules for continental championships, clubs must release their players for preparations a full two weeks before the start of the tournament, setting Sunday as the deadline for squad members to join up.

But there are likely to be some exceptions, notably Ghana's Michael Essien who officials said would likely be allowed to play for Chelsea against Tottenham Hotspur on Jan.14. Also, Samuel Eto'o will stay with Barcelona until mid-week next week, playing in a Kings Cup match before meeting up with his Cameroon teammates.

It's almost here, people. I'm excited!!

Kenya Situation Force Cameroon to Cancel Camp

The awful situation in Kenya has forced Cameroon's national team to cancel their high altitude training in Kenya ahead of this month's African Cup of Nations in Ghana.

The Indomitable Lions were scheduled to arrive in Nairobi on Sunday for a 10-day training camp.

They were also expected to play the Kenya national team in an international friendly but they have canceled the tour due to post-election violence that has rocked the country and left at least 300 people dead.

"We received a fax message from the Cameroon Football Federation that the team will be not coming," said Kenya Football Federation secretary Sammy Obingo.

Apart from Cameroon, who have in the past chosen Kenya as a training venue, the Namibia national football team had to cut short their stop-over stay in the country on Wednesday.

They head to Egypt where they will play a build-up match against the Pharaohs on Friday.

The situation in Kenya is grave. Let's keep our thoughts with the people of Kenya and wish them a quick end to their struggles ...

Better Times for Kenyan Football?

Loyal readers of this blog will know my affection for Kenyan football.

So today's Reuter's article about the Kenyan game struck a major chord.

Can football succeed in Kenya? There's been many ups and downs, with FIFA sanctions and poor play coupled with bad administration. Certainly, the talent is there. But can the people running the game keep it together?

What's been the problem? Can Kenya scratch their way out of this self-imposed mess? Read the article below and click the link above to read the original. It looks like Kenya might finally be getting their house in order. FIFA's ensuring that every country in Africa benefits from the first World Cup to be staged there.

Kenya is no exception.

Jacob Mulee (left), coach of Kenya's national team Harambee Stars (their nickname) and of club side Tusker, was a worried man two years ago when he was caught up in the factional politics that split Kenya's soccer federation in two.

"We had two factions of the federation, two parallel leagues running, and I was caught between a stone and a hard place. As a coach of one of the top clubs in the country, I did not know (who) to back or which league to enter my team in," Mulee told Reuters.

Mulee is happy now, with the quarreling over and news that Kenya is to get its first artificial pitch and a big television sponsorship deal.

"These are signs of a bright future for the game. Our players will be marketed to the world," said Mulee.

The Kenyan game's troubles, with the government intervening to disband the Kenyan Football Federation (KFF) and set up a caretaker committee, led world governing body FIFA to suspend the east African nation from all international competitions.
Delegations were sent from FIFA to help sort out matters and the government backed down. The rebel league fizzled out, the suspension was lifted and, for the first time in four years, Kenyan clubs played in a single Premier League. The season ended last month with Mulee's Tusker winning the title.

SPONSORSHIP DEAL

November also brought news that FIFA, as part of a $70-million pan-African project, would install Kenya's first artificial pitch in a Nairobi stadium.
Hard on the heels of that announcement came news that a pay television channel with a global audience had entered into a four-year, $5.5-million sponsorship deal to showcase Kenyan soccer.

The agreement with South African-owned SuperSport International to sponsor the Premier League from next year was signed on Nov. 24 and was hailed as a milestone by club officials.

Kenya Premier League (KPL) vice-chairman Gerald Chege said the specific amounts to be paid to clubs had not yet been agreed but would be known by the time the league started up again in February.

He said each Premier League club might receive between 2.5 million and three million Kenyan shillings ($40,390 to $48,470), a big bonus for clubs used to surviving on shoestring budgets.

The artificial pitch, being laid under a FIFA 2010 World Cup initiative, will cost 42 million Kenyan shillings and will be at the 15,000-seat Nairobi City Stadium, not far from the central business district.

CUP BENEFIT

The stadium, built by the colonial government in the early 1920s, was the first in the Kenyan capital before the 35,000-seater Nyayo National Stadium and the Chinese-built, 65,000-seater Moi International Sports Stadium were added in the 1980s.

Under the FIFA initiative, all but one of Africa's 53 member countries will get artificial pitches, the exception being 2010 World Cup hosts South Africa.
FIFA's development officer in charge of Africa, Ashford Mamelodi, said the project would ensure that every country on the continent got some benefit from the first World Cup to be staged there.

"Every country in Africa will win something, even those who will not be at the finals. This is why FIFA takes the project seriously," Mamelodi told reporters.
KFF secretary Sammy Obingo said Kenya wanted to put its troubles behind it and look forward.

"Those wrangles drew us so much behind," Obingo said. "We want to market Kenya as a destination for European teams who'll be going to the 2010 World Cup."

Kenya's Passion for the Game

I found this article on The Offside.com, where I'm the proud author of the Valencia CF blog.

It's from Kenya's 'Standard' newspaper and speaks about not only the peculiar viewing habits of Kenyan fans, but also the extreme passion Kenyans have for the game.

Have a read at the article here or on Standard website. It's well worth it!

Although critics may deride football as a game of 22 (grown up) men chasing an inflated piece of leather for 90 minutes, ardent fans do not regard it as a mere game. To them, it is a way of life.

Football lovers in Kenya, especially the younger generation, have taken to the game with so much passion that one would be forgiven for thinking the game was invented by Kenyans. And nothing brings out the best and the worst of the fan like foreign games broadcast on TV, especially the English Premier League.

Indeed, one of the most underrated peculiar habits of Kenyans, apart from their use of the mobile phone, is their application of personal pronouns like ‘I’, ‘we’, ‘us’ or ‘our’ to identify themselves with their favourite foreign teams.

"Sisi Arsenal ni wanoma, tutashinda game zote zimebaki," says one loudmouth with a replica ‘Emirates’ polyester jersey tailored in Nairobi’s Industrial Area. (We, Arsenal, are skilled and will win all the remaining games.)

"Wewe wacha, mimi ni Man U damu na tutachukua ligi. Nyinyi hamuwezani," another one in a faded red T-shirt says. (Forget about it, I’m a die-hard Manchester United fan and we will win the league title. You are not up to task.)

"Mazee, jana tulipoteza mechi ya maana, hata sikulala," a fan of a losing team would chip in. (Yesterday, we lost an important game and as I result I could not sleep.)

Wrecking marriage

A medical doctor in Eldoret who wishes only to be identified as Dr Dorothy, is struggling to keep her marriage intact due to differences with her husband over her zeal for English soccer.

"I am a die-hard fan of Liverpool, while my husband is disinterested in soccer," said Dorothy, whose husband is an engineer.

She says that her friends, five married women, usually come over to her place to noisily urge on their favourite teams while her husband watches documentaries on another TV in the bedroom. For Dorothy and company, hurling a few choice words at opposing players and the referee is all part of the game.

Late last month as Premiership sides Liverpool and Arsenal were sweating it out in a 1-1 draw, Dorothy’s husband came over to the sitting room and switched off the TV. He was apparently angered by the noise Dorothy and her friends were making, as they cheered.

"We argued in front of my friends and did not talk to each other for four days after the incident," says Dorothy, 35.

She adds: "Football is an integral part of my life. Some men think this is weird, but the truth is that there are more and more women football enthusiasts so we cannot be dismissed. Besides, countries like Germany and US have strong women soccer teams."

The medic says she was so excited last season that she was unable to sleep or eat properly for three days after Liverpool beat Barcelona 2-1 in the UEFA Champions League, at the Camp Nou, Spain.

A former MP from Western Province says he usually bets with his wife over results of Manchester United and Chelsea games.

"I am a Man U fan, while my wife supports the Blues (Chelsea). Last season when we lost the FA Cup, I had to part with Sh10,000 after our bet. She even teased me, saying the loss was a sign of what was to transpire come the December General Election," says the former MP, who sought anonymity.

However, like the politician he is, he did not take kindly to the comment about losing the parliamentary seat: "I was livid when she suggested I could lose the seat. The situation was so bad that we were not on talking terms for a whole week."

Another soccer fan, James Omondi, separated from his wife last year after he started ignoring her and got ‘married’ to the Spanish La Liga.

"I usually stay up late to watch the likes of Raul, Ronaldinho and Messi show their magical skills. Mid-last year, my wife of five years told me to choose between soccer and her," says Omondi, whose former wife left with their two children.

His wife walked out in a huff, as he spent most nights glued to the TV screen watching clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid.

A Nairobi resident, Joseph Wafula, claims that one of his neighbours parted ways with his wife for good during the 1998 Fifa World Cup because Nigeria lost a game.

"Those were the days when Nigeria was very popular in Kenya. When the husband came back home, his wife taunted him saying, ‘N’goo, you have lost.’ The man was so angry he beat his wife and chased her away. The wife never came back," claims Wafula.

Drowning sorrows in beer

Nothing relaxes graphic designer Julius Juma, 31, more than communicating with an online network of fans. "The Mafans Soccer forum has over 1,000 members. We communicate frequently and I get about 50 emails per day, including ‘friendly insults’ from opposing fans," says Juma, a Chelsea fan, adding that the forum involves hundreds of Kenyans in the Diaspora.

Jimmy Aol, a journalist, says that in such forums one might find Manchester United being referred to as ‘Man Useless’ or ‘Manure,’ Arsenal as ‘A**h*le’, while Chelsea rivals refer to it as ‘Chelski’ or ‘Blue band boys’ and Liverpool fans are taunted as ‘Liverfools’.

Like many Kenyan fans, Aol knows the finer details of the players of the top Premier League players, including their former and current clubs, their pay and in some instances, details about their families.

"I know what each player earns. I even know the names of some of the players’ parents," said Aol with a grin.

For Richard Okiko, a business executive, visiting the Arsenal website, www.arsenal.com, is a good way to spend free time. "I check on news of injured players, our next opponents and even visit the blogs to read comments made by Arsenal fans about the club," says Okiko, 30, who started supporting the team while at the university in the late 1990s.

He explains: "This is because Nwankwo Kanu, currently a Portsmouth player, was playing for Arsenal and scoring many classic goals."

He says some students used to get into fights and there was widespread betting. "The betting would sometimes be in terms of buying alcohol for whoever won the bet," he says.

He adds that by the time he completed his studies at the University of Nairobi, the institution had not installed satellite TV. "We used to watch the Premier League in pubs and restaurants in town," he says. "After the matches fans would ululate, shout and wail along the streets."

Most fans Crazy Monday talked to said when their teams lose, they drown their sorrows in beer and when their teams win they celebrate with even more beer.

Mercy Atieno, 29, says she is an Arsenal die-hard. Her husband of one year also supports the same team. However, her two brothers are fans of Arsenal’s archrivals, Manchester United.

"I started supporting Arsenal in 1997. I guess I had to be inclined to a team that was a bitter rival of Man United," says she.

Atieno’s younger brother, Allan Odongo says he supports Man U because its manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, does not discriminates against any player.

"If we lose I get distressed and can go without meals for a day," said Odongo.

Beverly Kaluli, an accountant, is a Blues supporter. She cannot stand a Blues player missing a penalty.

"Every time a Chelsea player is about to take a penalty, I rush out of the room as I cannot stand watching him missing. And when we win a game, I proudly put on my Chelsea jersey," explains Kaluli, who started supporting the club after Jose Mourinho took over as coach. Although Mourinho’s departure ‘broke her heart,’ she continues supporting the club.

"He is a resilient coach who works hard. I will support any club he will move to but at the same time I will continue supporting Chelsea," says Kaluli, whose best player is the Ivory Coast and Chelsea striker, Didier Drogba.

Many Kenyans believe they can influence the results of games played on TV by crossing their fingers, putting on particular clothes or tightening the muscles of their buttocks.

It is also baffling that some Kenyans can simultaneously support two different teams in the same league or defect from a team that is performing poorly to one that is having a good run. Generally, fans of English teams are born supporting one team and die supporting the same team. In Kenya, like our politicians, some fans move from one team to another at will. "Mimi ni wa Bolton (I support Bolton FC)," somebody would say today. After noticing Bolton’s poor performance, the same person would say a few weeks later, "Haki ya mungu mimi kutoka leo ni Arsenal for life. I can’t support a losing team."

But is this Premier league craze good for Kenyan football? The local league is now in the homestretch yet few fans seem concerned.

One of Kenya’s soccer legends, Joe Kadenge, says that football in the country is dead. He cites the apathy to local football as illustration of how the sport has gone to the doldrums.

Kadenge told Crazy Monday that during his heydays, the game was in the hearts of many Kenyans."Mashabiki walikuwa wanapenda mpira na hata ghasia zikiwua mingi," he says (Fans loved the game and there were frequent fights between them).

Kadenge, 72, argues that soccer hooliganism was part and parcel of the game about 30 years ago, since every team played to win.

"Gor and AFC Leopards were the main clubs. The two clubs’ fans used to be emotionally charged," he says.

David Ochieng, 50, recalls the 1980s local soccer scene with nostalgia. "We used to carry stones in coats and socks. And when police started frisking us, we started carrying the ‘missiles’ in briefcases while we were dressed in suits," says Ochieng, with a hearty laughter.

The briefcases and immaculate dressing hoodwinked the officers, thus letting the soccer fans into the stadium with their ‘missiles.’ Ochieng, a Gor Mahia supporter, says police often wondered where the stones whizzing past them at the end of the match came from.

Traders would close their shops before the end of the game and motorists would avoid the road from either City or Nyayo stadiums.

Although the rivalry used to leave some people injured, it made the game more popular. Gor versus AFC always created a carnival atmosphere. The throbbing sound of the isikuti galvanized ingwe (Leopard, AFC’s nickname) supporters as Gor fans chanted "Gor biro yawne yo" (Gor is coming, give way), among other chants. ‘Travelling fans’ were also a reality.

"We used to hire vehicles to transport us to Nairobi from Kisumu. For AFC fans, they travelled all the way from Kakamega and other parts of Western Kenya to the capital city," he says.