2016: KPL players suffer long drought of goals

The number of goals scored by the top scorer in the Kenyan Premier League last season pales in comparison to Gor Mahia legend Maurice ‘Sonyi’ Ochieng’s record of 26.

Playing the revered Number Nine role at Gor Mahia in 1976, Ochieng made history by scoring 26 goals as K’Ogalo went through the entire campaign unbeaten for the first time under player-coach Allan Thigo. But few would have thought that 30 years later, his record would still be standing.

The Kenyan Premier League was expected to yield more goals in the ended season but the strikers proved unequal to the task. Compared to 2015, when a staggering 534 goals were scored, 2016 registered a huge decline with just 456 goals scored.

Strikers failed to rise to expectations, with the Golden Boot winner John Mark Makwatta managing just 15 goals, seven shy of the 22 scored by Zesco United striker Jesse Jackson Were in 2015 when he turned out for Tusker.

Since Ochieng’s exploits in 1976, its only Allan Wanga and Were amongst the current breed of strikers who have come close to channelling the feat achieved by Sony.

In his KPL debut season in 2007, Wanga scored 23 goals for Tusker before Jesse Were netted 22 for the brewers in 2015.

Another interesting comparison comes in the season’s Most Valuable Player. Last year when Michael ‘Engineer’ Olunga claimed the honours, he stood head and shoulders above his opponents and there was no doubt on the legitimacy of his award.

The same can’t be said of 2016 when Western Stima’s emerging midfielder Kenneth Muguna took the honours, prompting many to question the selection criteria.

Contrary to Olunga who scored 19 league goals for a total of 37 for club and country in a calendar year, Muguna’s run was not particularly rosy. Apart from his four league goals and being voted Player of the Month by Sports Journalists Association of Kenya, the Stima ace neither dominated the talk in local football cycles nor did his displays attract colourful reviews by football writers.

In 2015, Olunga dominated talk in local stadiums, at times winning matches almost single-handedly for K’Ogalo and there was no doubt as to who deserved to walk home with the Sh1 million prize money that comes with the coveted award. With such a record, the installation of Muguna as the 2016 seasons’ best will be considered as one of the lows of the 2016 season, as is the choice of Posta Rangers centre-back Joackins Atudo as the League’s Best Defender at the expense of Gor Mahia’s vice-captain Musa Mohamed and Shafik Batambuze of Tusker.

Of importance is the need by the league managers to outsource the services of a professional data firm to do the player tracking and records during matches.

KPL Golden Boot Record

2016: John Mark Makwatta - 15

2015: Jesse Were - 22

2014: Dan Sserunkuma - 16

2013: Jacob Keli - 17

2012: John Baraza - 18

2007: Allan Wanga - 23

1976: Maurice Ochieng - 26 (record)