Let Migne be and judge him on results
What you need to know:
- I was involved in several verbal skirmishes on social media over this selection thing.
- I averred that Migne has the final say in who he wants to pick in his team. I will judge him on his performance.
- But some critics hit out that he should be judged on his selection too. Okay, find me a coach who has won an award for selecting the “best” team and I will find you an incorruptible Kenyan politician.
Brazilian scoring legend Romario once said: “There are many gods, but there is only one Romario.” Indeed, the one and only Romario was deadly in the danger area regularly banging in the goals for over a decade for fabled Selacoa.
But Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari made a hugely unpopular decision not to pick Romario in his team for the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. So unpopular was that decision that Scolari was at one point harassed in the centre of Rio de Janeiro by angry fans.
His repost. He guided Brazil to the world title.
France coach Didier Deschamps was even accused of racism in his long drawn out rough treatment of Real Madrid star Karim Benzema. He declined to include the proven goal scorer in his 2018 World Cup team despite the striker enjoying tremendous club-level success with Real that including winning the Uefa Champions League that year.
In fact, Benzema, scored in Real’s 3-1 demolition of England’s Liverpool in the final. But no matter, France won the World Cup in Russia.
It is not unique for coaches to shun players that the public and other interest groups want to see included and when that happens it is again not unexpected for disgruntled fans to vent loudly and vehemently.
That was the case when Kenya coach Sebastien Migne named, first, his provisional squad that travelled to France for a three-day camp, and, second, his final squad bound for the 2019 Afcon in Egypt.
Many fans were miffed by the exclusion of red hot Zambia’s Zesco United hit man Jesse Were and experienced Kakamega Homeboyz striker Allan Wanga, who was the second top goal scorer in the recently concluded Kenyan Premier League.
They also wondered how a player without a club for months, Masoud Juma, had made the Stars team together with the very untested and unproven John Avire of Sofapaka.
I was involved in several verbal skirmishes on social media over this selection thing. I averred that Migne has the final say in who he wants to pick in his team. I will judge him on his performance.
But some critics hit out that he should be judged on his selection too. Okay, find me a coach who has won an award for selecting the “best” team and I will find you an incorruptible Kenyan politician.
The French coach did give reasons for why he did, or did not pick each player concerned.
To me, he seemed to have his plan for the Egypt sojourn, and as they say, he will sink or swim with this team, not the pundits or critics engaging from their sofa sets.
By the way, the situation Migne finds himself in is not unique in this Afcon business.
Zimbabwe coach and former national team captain Sunday Chidzambwa was been roundly criticised for overlooking local players in his squad selection.
In fact, the Egypt-bound Warriors have no local based player with majority in the squad based in South Africa.
Cote d’Ivoire, the 1992 and 2015 champions, have an unattached player in the squad. Elephants coach Ibrahim Kamara had no problem including without-a-club Wilfried Bony.
The former Manchester City striker was released by Swansea in May this year. The examples are legion
The positive from the selection noisemaking is that it shows so many people are following the team and its composition.
It means people are passionate about their beloved Stars. So, let the critics and supporters make all the racket they want, but let the coach do his work. See you all in Egypt!
