Why AFC Leopards must handle transfers better

Timonah Wanyonyi in action for Gor Mahia breezes past AFC Leopards’ Joseph Shikokoti in their KPL match on June 8 at Nyayo Stadium. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

What you need to know:

  • The scandal of the Wanyonyi transfer fee should never have been allowed to happen.
  • The real issue is the damage the scandal has caused to the club’s image.

It has been one long month enjoying the globe’s biggest footballing bonanza, the Fifa World Cup in Brazil with all its revelations, shocks, embarrassments and success stories.

If Africa ever hoped to use this particular event to lobby Fifa for greater representation at the Copa Mundial, the mediocrity exemplified by Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire’s tactical naivety and Ghana’s dressing room implosion never helped this cause.

Kudos however to the two African nations that managed to advance to the last 16, Nigeria and Algeria. The two teams’ exit at the second round stage taught all of us that it takes a little more than good skill and fighting spirit to succeed at this level - luck.

Unfortunately, luck was not on their side but from all indications, the future is bright for these two teams.

The rest of the continent must draw lessons from the Copa Mundial’s success stories if they are to do better next time. While we were all focused on the World Cup, a few things happened in the Ingwe den worth reflecting upon.

WANYONYI TRANSFER FEE

Well, the club officialdom was busy in the transfer market, bringing on board the highly-rated Humphrey Mieno and Timonah Wanyonyi. A few wayward characters in the Executive Committee were shown the door during the special AGM and a few changes were also made on the technical bench.

The scandal of the Wanyonyi transfer fee should never have been allowed to happen. It does not matter whether or not the club has since paid the balance of the fee to the youngster.

The real issue is the damage the scandal has caused to the club’s image as the most organized and most financially stable institution in this part of the world.

While our noisy neighbours have been reduced to moving around with begging bowls singing “toa ndugu, toa dada” to make ends meet, Ingwe has taken pride in its financial acumen.

With this scandal, potential signings will view Ingwe as a credit-unworthy institution which must always pay upfront to transact any business in the transfer market all thanks to the opaque manner some shameless individuals went about Wanyonyi’s Timonah’s matter.

I must also salute the leadership exhibited by the club’s legends to save the club from sliding into relegation.