Why EPL and not KPL?

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Any football lover in Kenya would tell you that the English (EPL) is more famous in Kenya than Kenya premier league (KPL). In fact if they were to choose EPL and KPL they will definitely choose EPL without second thoughts.

Football in Kenya has had its own share of challenges from bad management to lack of enough funds plus many more other problems. One would tell that football in Kenya is more or less dead.

Though people have really tried to promote and support our own football some clubs in Kenya do not have fans and if they have they can barely fill half of the stadium. It’s a paradox because if there is any time that club and bar owners make more money then it must be the time when there is a an English premier match. People come in large numbers in large numbers and fill the whole place forcing the club and bar owners to send some of them away.

Why is it difficult to rally the same kind of support to our players? Football lovers say it’s because the kind of football played here in Kenya cannot march the kind of football that is played in the EPL.

What then does EPL do so well that Kenya doesn’t do? Many international players are nurtured when they are still young. In that stage they are given good coaches who then impact good skills in the players. As they grow up they perfect their game more and more and they become the best. In Kenya there is a problem when it comes to nurturing the young spirited blood, normally we concentrate on the players who have already made it in football and forget those who are still fresh and have the potential.

EPL also provides good and quality facilities for their players. In Kenya clubs are still struggling when it comes to facilities some of the clubs do not have training grounds and are forced to train in places where the conditions are pathetic.

EPL pays the players so well this keeps them motivated and they struggle to maintain and upgrade their game. In Kenya the situation is so different because the one major challenge the clubs are facing is lack of funds. The players in KPL are paid so little that they cannot even afford a decent life with what they get. This is a demoralizing factor because football needs ones time and effort. Sometimes players are forced to join other businesses to substitute the little they get.

Though KPL is facing a lot of criticisms it has the capacity to produce players who can fit into world teams. It’s only a matter of looking for more funds through sponsorship that will help them train good players and uplift the status of KPL.

By paskalia

what needs to change for harambee stars

The last few years have not been easy for Kenya football  team “harambee stars”. Looking at the team performance over the last few years there is nothing to smile about.what went wrong where and when is what we should ask ourselves.

since the year 2000 football changed for the worst in Kenya. The regime of corrupt club officials who drained the clubs account saw the performance of 1990’s disappear in thin air. One is left wonder where the problem lies.

we have players in Kenya who are talented are ready to show their skills to the world, but then why is it that we always loose to other teams? This might be to poor selection of players, we have ever since used the same old players who at the end disappoint us. it is a high time that we changed the way we think and take a risk by trying the young blood.

coaches are there with a lot of experience but we really make good use of them. the football culture in Kenya is that of impatience and whenever the players don’t do well its blamed on the coach before looking into real issue why the players are not performing well.

lack of motivation for the players is another factor that has really pushed down the players perfomance. many times the players are not well paid or they are played late.

The resources are also not put into good use when it comes to preparing the players for matches. the just ended COSAFA cup is one of the evidence of poor planning and lack of using the resources well.

initially there was no plan of the team to join COSAFA but the KFF body forced it on to the clubs to release their players. with the Little time they had to prepare the expected happened and they were thrown out of the competition.

change must happen to scale us to the greater heights we have the capacity to beat the likes of Botswana and be on the same level as other African national teams that are doing well like South Africa and Cameroon.

footbal for peace

Football matches are meant to play the role of reconciliation but unfortunately that’s not the case in Kenya. Kenyan football fans have developed a tendency of taking their pain of loosing out on their rivals. The past recent matches that have been played between Kenya Gor mahia and Mathare fc in the Nairobi Nyanyo  National stadium act as a  good example to determine who really gets hurt or who is to blame whenever a match ends with violence as an outcome. this almost leads to lack of motivation for upcoming or interested football players because they seem not to find anything of importance from their so called role models. we therefore need to understand that matches are meant to bring people together and act as grounds for socialization. football fans need not to point out fingers to one another but instead get to appreciate their rivals achievements and failures.

BY BELDINAH KEMUNTO

SAFARICOM SEVENS SERIES

Looking for some rugby action? The Safaricom 7s series happens every year from August to October. All the major national rugby teams; Kenya Harlequins, Mwamba RFC,  Nakuru RFC, KCB Rugby among others battle it out every week in a series of tournaments. Masaku 7s, Dala 7s, Kabeberi 7s, Drifwood 7s, Prinsloo 7s, Christie 7s, and the final being Safaricom 7s in September. The Safaricom Sevens is a tournament run by the Kenya Rugby Union. The competition is promoted as being Africa’s premier rugby sevens tournament drawing crowds of over 20,000 to the weekend event. It is unique in that it is contested by numerous national representative sides from Africa and beyond, by professional sevens outfits, professional and amateur club sides, invitational teams, universities and schools.

The Moi Sports Center Kasarani has been picked as the new home for the Safaricom Sevens rugby tournament which will go down on 20th to 22nd of September this year. Go and fun as you cheer your favorite team.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Avom7xl_UQ

 

 

 

Julie Chebet