OJUANG: Stop this shameful begging culture!
What you need to know:
- When Gor Mahia were to travel to Cameroon to face New Star de Douala, the club through chairman Ambrose Rachier had to send a formal request to the Ministry of Sports to help the club fly to Cameroon.
- A day after the sterling performance of Gor Mahia against the Egyptian giants Zamalek, Rachier was again at it.
- Team merchandise is sold by any Tom Dick and Harry; gate collections don’t seem to reach the office and they are outfits that shall forever be doomed to beg!
It is now clear that Kenyan clubs are just broke … they have been so broke for a long time but the begging culture is now rather enshrined and there is no more shame about it.
When Gor Mahia were to travel to Cameroon to face New Star de Douala, the club through chairman Ambrose Rachier had to send a formal request to the Ministry of Sports to help the club fly to Cameroon.
That was a stunner but the issue was solved and Rachier’s begging bowl was filled up.
At the same time, players were still suffering over unpaid salaries and allowances.
The same thing was going on with increased vigour at the den.
The Leopard was limping from lack of funds and was threatened with losing its claws and cease being panthera pardus and become some domestic felis catus!
The cycle of lack of money keeps whirling and getting worse every day and we can be sure that none of these teams has ever made a profit.
A day after the sterling performance of Gor Mahia against the Egyptian giants Zamalek, Rachier was again at it.
He has perfected the ‘formal request’ as a way of life and perhaps he actually enjoys it.
He announced that K’Ogalo had no money to travel to Angola to play Petro Atletico which is the team’s next assignment.
He did not only beg but he gave a charming reason to the fact by stating bluntly: “As it stands now the only way is the Government intervention through the Ministry that will help us. We had a similar arrangement before, and it helped us a great deal.”
We have to concede that among the hindrances to Gor Mahia’s journey in continental competitions is financing.
The team has proved that will, money and support – ‘anything is possible’.
We, therefore, deduce from his verbiage that Gor Mahia shall henceforth depend on hand outs to help them honour their continental matches.
That there is nothing more this office can do to end the vicious circle; that this team in spite of its mass following has no idea on how to generate funds and be self-sufficient; that the Rachiers have no intention of finding any alternative other than coaxing politicians and lionising them!
At the den, the situation has been dire.
Ingwe has now appointed a committee comprising sixteen people to try and rescue the team.
Their mandate is clear but how they shall manage to make it relevant and effective remains to be seen.
Our fear is that it shall come a cropper.
These are administrations that have failed to sell their brands and really see no need for profit that can build these teams.
Team merchandise is sold by any Tom Dick and Harry; gate collections don’t seem to reach the office and they are outfits that shall forever be doomed to beg!
Just how do teams like Mathare United function?
Just why don’t we get to hear of their players weeping for allowances?
Do they have more fans than Ingwe and K’Ogalo?
We must start thinking now before it’s too late.
