Unveiling future champs

I am super excited about the new season and the kind of football we’re about to be treated to. The past few weeks have been filled with transfer news in the Kenyan Premier League and things are looking interesting. In fact some teams, like AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia, have gone further to emulate European clubs by unveiling their new catches to the media. Nice.

So let’s just go over some of the movement that players and coaches have been making and see who could be unveiling the champs for 2012.

The immediate reaction is that most clubs have been smart in their buying; although it is interesting to note that one man’s food is another man’s poison; or should I say it the other way – one man’s poison is another man’s food.

You see, apart from Rangers FC, who conducted open trials, most of the players moving around are being recycled. That isn’t surprising as good players sometimes fail to shine under some coaches, but could move to a club where the system suits them better. So recycling of players isn’t bad at all.

While on the subject of Rangers; sadly they lost one of my favourite coaches of the KPL, David Ouma, to Sofapaka. They have signed the energetic Ezekiel Akwana to take charge and, according to Captain Pascal Ochieng, who has chosen to stay at Rangers despite “many offers from other bigger clubs”, Akwana has a vision that could see them challenge for the title this year. Because they held trials and chose not to buy, they have signed up many unknowns. In a country like Kenya, that’s a smart move because, firstly, there’s no signing fee, and, secondly; Kenya is well known for having so much untapped talent out there.

Rangers could have signed a gem who is likely to shine this season. Actually the club has also contracted 22-year-old Italian Coach Angelo Zanette to help select players for next season. Zanette won’t be with the club long as he’ll go back to Europe to attain his Uefa B licence before returning to Rangers. Good Luck guys!

Gor Mahia has probably been the busiest club so far, signing George Midenyo from Tusker, Hugo Nzangu from Sony Sugar, goalkeeper Ivo Mapunda and Wycliffe Kasaya from Bandari, David Owino from Karuturi Sport, Yusuf Juma from Thika United, Victor Ali from Tusker, Ato Ayong from Mathare United and former Karuturi midfielder Peter Juma. This list is long and I’m not sure whether it’s complete as another player may be signed by the time this blog is live.

My concern here is that they’ve signed almost a complete team. Yes, Gor Mahia will be playing continental football and open their Confederations Cup challenge against Ferravio De Maputo. Their season also starts earlier than others because of the Supersport/DStv Cup on the 4th of February, not to mention that Gor intends to participate fully – again – in this season’s FKF Cup. With this schedule on the cards, it’s not surprising that Gor is putting together a wide squad but it could all backfire.

Should – and please don’t shoot me here – Gor not go far in the Confederations Cup then they’ll be stuck with too many good players who are spending their time on the bench. But I wish K’ogalo all the best and I do hope you go all the way in the Confed Cup; at least to the quarters where the money is good.

The shock at Gor though was the release of former captain Julius “Awilo” Owino. I’m glad that the management has offered to keep him on in some, yet to be fully defined, role.

AFC Leopards haven’t signed as many players as Gor but their signings have been smart – from defender of the year Eric Masika of Gor to the second highest top scorer in 2011 striker Victor Ochieng from Chemelil. They have also secured the services of former Karuturi captain Amon Muchiri and of course Allan Wanga, who was plying his trade in Vietnam. I’m yet to see a game in which Wanga lives up to his name though. Coach Jan Koops watched so many matches last season that didn’t involve AFC, so when he decides to buy, you know it’s a player he’s seen many times and who he’s confident can fit into the club’s style of play.

Mathare United is a team that I’m worried about. Coach Gabriel Njoroge has exed six players, including Simon Mburu, Jacob Kelly, Barnabas Omondi, and Ato Ayong. Interestingly, he’s signed on 2008 top scorer Francis Ouma. Ouma helped Mathare win the KPL title in 2008 then moved to Azzam in Tanzania where he began to fizzle out and eventually to some lower division side in Portugal I believe. His return last year to play under his former Mathare coach Francis Kimanzi, who was then at Sofapaka, was a disappointment. Ouma failed to capture his magic of 2008; and a position in the national team.

Mathare are also behaving badly when it comes to player of the year 2011 Kevin Kimani. The price tag for his services is way beyond any team in the KPL and yet there’s been no definite approach from teams abroad. So it looks like he’ll stay with the club that couldn’t pay salaries towards the end of last season.

Then there’s Sofapaka, that did more business in the coaching department. With Francis Kimanzi bowing out from active club coaching to concentrate on the national team, the vacant position was filled by two very able coaches – Kimanzi’s former deputy at Mathare and Mathare’s most recent coach Salim Ali, and the Mathare trained former Rangers coach David Ouma. With Kimanzi still part of Sofapaka’s technical bench, this looks like a winning combination.

They have former captain James Situma back from Albania and things look good for them.

There’s been movement at Tusker, Chemelil and, of course, Sony Sugar, who signed coach Zedekiah Zico Otieno as well. But the interesting signings have been covered.

So who will be unveiled in November 2012 as the new KPL Champs – Tusker, Gor Mahia, Sofapaka, Ulinzi Stars or AFC Leopards? Actually why can’t it be Rangers?

Your guess is as good mine.

What is evident is that the KPL transfer market is as vibrant as that of any country, and the talent that will be displayed in 2012 is incapable of disappointing a football lover out to just enjoy a great game.