Oliech the diva

Yes, he is the news again and it’s largely for the same reasons. Not really positive stuff.

Dennis Oliech, according to the coach of the national team failed to report to camp after the Nigeria game without explanation, he also apparently refused to join the team bus before the Nigeria game and his ‘off-field activities’ as the Adel Amrouche calls them are not worthy of a leader of a national team.

Anyone who follows the Harambee Stars closely knows these are not new issues with Oliech. There is that famous incident when he refused to travel with his colleagues to Guinea Bissau over air ticket refunds yet he was somehow appointed captain soon after.

I thought that was a bad decision then, I still think so today and Amrouche’s move to strip Oliech of the captaincy confirms that. The coach says Oliech is not a role model and lacks discipline and he cannot have someone with those traits leading his team.

I think Kenyan fans have contributed immensely to Oliech’s primma donna complex, he was the first player to make it professionally, he scored that fabulous goal that took us to the Cup of Nations: we lavished enormous praise and attention on the young man and when you combine that with the salary of a European based footballer it’s clear that a lot of it went to his head.

It’s almost like Oliech sees the Harambee Stars as an extension of his success and it’s true and while the team has depended on him a lot for goals, that is no excuse to forget it is an honor to play for your country.

I find it ridiculous when his brother on the record to the media says that Oliech is not being treated as he deserves by the Coach, that he is not being shown the respect he has earned.

Am I the only one who sees how perverse that statement sounds? The player is supposed to respect the coach not vice versa and that Oliech and his camp expect the reverse underlines the prima donna attitude they hold towards national duty.

The problem quite clearly is that Amrouche does not bend over backwards to accommodate Oliech and or his ‘off-field activities’.

The Belgian does not treat Oliech any differently from any other player in the squad and that is clearly not going down well with the superstar striker.

Oliech is no longer the only multi-millionaire superstar in the team. Mariga, and more importantly Victor Wanyama are proving that being rich and based in Europe does not make you any more special from your fellow player when you report for national team duty.

Even the biggest superstars in the world do not get special treatment, you will not find Cristiano Ronaldo failing to board the Portugal team bus or Messi failing to report to the Argentina camp and declaring himself injured without due process.

If the best players in the world report to camp and follow team rules I find it baffling that Oliech is unwilling to submit himself to the same. I even wish he had criticized the Amrouche’s tactics or team selection or something like that, he would still be out of order but those would be issues worthy of debate.

In today’s football where the salaries are outrageous and egos enormous, it is discipline that keeps the game sane and alive and I doubt if there was an exception to this norm it would fall to Dennis Oliech.

Adel Amrouche is being more than generous. He has said Oliech can come back if he is willing to toe the line and respect his authority and the team as a whole. In my humble opinion that is not too much to ask.