Watch out! Oliech still has a lot to offer to Kenyan football
What you need to know:
- As chairman Ambrose Rachier rightfully noted, we have never had a good replacement for Meddie Kagere and Oliech may be just the man. On that score I salute the chairman.
- However, my congratulation is double-sided. Oliech’s signing was done in the most pedestrian manner ever. When Ronaldo moved to Juventus last year, it was a huge event and reports had it that the Italian giants sold some 100,000 replica jerseys with Ronaldo’s number at the back.
- Now I would be getting ahead of myself to even hint that Gor Mahia is in the league of Juventus.
The best news to emanate from KÓgalo early in the year is the putting pen to paper by Dennis Oliech.
I have read various comments on social media concerning the signing but as for me and my house, I choose to believe in Dennis ‘The Menace’.
By any standards I am strongly convinced that Oliech is the greatest player of his generation. If you would care to remember, some time back, Oliech was ranked among the top 10 best young players in Europe in a list that included the likes of former Manchester United and England captain Wayne Rooney.
The man’s pedigree speaks for itself - professional in Qatar (with Al-Arabi) and plying his trade with top-tier teams in the French premier league (with Ajaccio, Auxerre, and Nantes) playing a crucial role in Harambee Stars.
What the heck, I even remember the day Oliech moved from upfront to goalkeeping for Harambee Stars after goalie Arnold Origi got injured. He did make some saves too.
I also believe that contrary to words doing rounds on the streets, Oliech is no yet over the hill. I know the man has been yearning for a chance to dazzle Kenyans once more on the pitch and now he has been given the stage to do so.
As chairman Ambrose Rachier rightfully noted, we have never had a good replacement for Meddie Kagere and Oliech may be just the man. On that score I salute the chairman.
However, my congratulation is double-sided. Oliech’s signing was done in the most pedestrian manner ever. When Ronaldo moved to Juventus last year, it was a huge event and reports had it that the Italian giants sold some 100,000 replica jerseys with Ronaldo’s number at the back.
Now I would be getting ahead of myself to even hint that Gor Mahia is in the league of Juventus.
However, there are basic things that should have been done. For one, Oliech should have been unveiled at a stadium with the coach present.
Second, we should have been told what jersey number he would be donning while doing duty for K’Ogalo.
This was a big sports news that should have attracted maximum media coverage with the club doing proper media hype before and after the event.
This all boils down to how the club affairs are run. There have been murmurs that the club’s management is opaque when it comes to sharing news with the members on the goings-on at the club.
There have been claims of Chinese accounting especially on gate collections and player transfer fees.
As I have said here before, in my trade we deal in the currency of facts and so I cannot stand in the agora and accuse any official of financial impropriety without proof. However, common decency demands that where there have been such accusations, the management should move with haste to present the correct figures.
To paraphrase Julius Caesar when he was divorcing his second wife Pompeia, leaders of Gor Mahia ought not even to be under suspicion.
Happy New Year to you all!
