Coach turnover costing Kenya’s big two greatness

On this day last year, AFC Leopards had just managed a slim 2-1 victory over Ulinzi Stars to remain third on the log with 51 points with only two games remaining.

Jonas Nahimana had netted the first goal via a free kick in the second minute, only for Ingwe custodian Patrick Matasi to gift the soldiers with the easiest of goals. It took Victor Ochieng’s 88th minute goal for Ingwe to seal victory.

Our noisy neighbours had on the same weekend managed to squeeze a 1-0 victory over perennial strugglers Karuturi, via a dubious penalty (as usual) converted by Danny Sserunkuma.

The victory lifted K’Ogalo to second spot with 52 points, behind Tusker who would go on to win the league ahead of Gor and Ingwe in that order.

A year later, a lot has changed at the den and at K’Ogalo. Ingwe remains third on the log with 41 points, at least for the time being, a whole nine points behind our loud rivals who are perched at the top of the table and two behind second placed Sofapaka.

Jan Koops, who was in charge at the den a year ago is no longer at the helm. Between Koops and current caretaker coach James Nandwa, there have been two other tacticians in the space of eight months, Tom Olaba and Luc Eymael. The two scorers in Ingwe’s triumph over Ulinzi, Nahimana and Ochieng have since left.

K’Ogalo too have had their ups and downs. The man who engineered their transformation from a struggling outfit in the first half of last year to a strong contender for the title, one Zdravko Logarusic is no longer on the technical bench, having been replaced by former Uganda Cranes coach Bobby Williamson.

The then team manager, Tom Ogweno too was shown the door shortly after the one-all season ending draw with Thika United.

COST POINTS

The turnover of personnel at Ingwe and K’Ogalo offers vital lessons not just for the managers of the two clubs but for Kenyan football at large. The transition from Koops to Olaba, then to Eymael and finally to Nandwa cost Ingwe a couple of points and so was the transition from Logarusic to Williamson.

As to whether the hiring of Nandwa and Williamson was in the best interests of the two sides, only time will tell. The only difference between the two sides is the relative stability in K’Ogalo in comparison to Ingwe.

Stability has been the hallmark of the most successful sides in the world, from Vicente del Bosque and Sir Alex Ferguson’s all conquering Real Madrid and Man United sides to Hassan Shehata’s three time Africa Cup of Nations champions Egypt.

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If Sam Nyamweya and his Football Kenya Federation officialdom ever needed any evidence as to who caused the abandonment of the match between Sony Sugar and our noisy neighbours last month, he need not look further than Saturday when K’Ogalo goons descended on the Sony keeper with blows and kicks.

But knowing the populist that Nyamweya and co. are, I’ll be least surprised if K’Ogalo gets away with this. It won’t be the first time.