Matiba’s work in football left a lasting impression

The past few weeks has seen the demise of very prominent people in the word.

Of course when the outstanding die, it becomes news taking precedence over dozens others that perish in road accidents and floods.

They are always too tiring to mention their names individually. That does not make them less important though.

When Winnie Mandela passed on, Julius Sello Malema, a member of parliament in South Africa and also the leader of Economic Freedom Fighters, a racial nationalist South African political party which he founded in July 2013, shamed many people who pretended to eulogise the late Winnie Mandela when they had persecuted her all through her lifetime!

His speech has gone viral and many people agree with his sentiments which were very honest and to the point.

The same condition was witnessed when the multi-party hero Kenneth Stanley Njindo Matiba finally slept. It was very shameful to see the same people that had rejoiced over his detention pouring praises brazenly.

One may start to wonder why we are waxing political in the sports pages. We are not.

What was forgotten by many commentators on Matiba’s life was to point out that one of the greatest roles he ever played in this country was to develop football and pull it into the 20th century.

It was the old man who through sheer determination finally removed the heavy yoke of the inept Kenya Football Association (KFA) and formed the Kenya Football Federation (KFF).

He was the same person who worked on detribalising football in this country and saw the formation of Breweries Football Club (now Tusker FC). He also called in the German coach Bernhard Zgoll into the country to start the youth programme that saw the development of very good footballers in the country.

There are many wonders he did during his stint at the federation and that is what these pages must remember him for.

We thank him profoundly since these days, there are no longer eagles like him, only some crows masquerading and talking big about football while strangling it.

While the politicians were outdoing each other in praising the late Matiba, our football fathers were still thinking of whom to grovel about. Some former Football Kenya Federation official was laughing at Henri Michel.

The Frenchman had the misfortune of having managed Harambee Stars for a short stint and left in a huff when he saw clearly that he was not going to be paid his dues.

He passed on a few days ago.

Well, Fifa had decreed that Kenya ought to pay him some Sh4 million. He was never paid just like late Reinhardt Fabisch. Adel Amrouche is still owed money.

But ex-FKF official found it nice to eulogise Michel and praise him in the most shocking manner. Crocodile tears, I say.

At the moment FKF is shopping for another coach. Mark my words, he will not be paid.