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Benson Omalla’s exclusion from the Harambee Stars team that was selected to flex muscles with Iran in an international friendly match on Tuesday, has left local football fans furious with head coach Engin Firat.
Their ire may be justified considering Omalla has blasted in 19 goals for record champions Gor Mahia in the Kenyan Premier League despite having played only 20 matches thus far. The 19-year-old averages one goal per match, a record no other Kenyan player has accomplished in the history of the country’s top-flight competition.
It’s interesting to note that Kenya Police striker Elvis Rupia, who has 13 goals this season, was given a seat on the flight to Tehran. Seemingly, Harambee Stars head coach Firat, who has never attended a single KPL encounter since the season began, is not privy to such details.
While labouring to justify his decision, the tough-talking Turk said Omalla’s character is devoid of the ruggedness required to overcome hard-battling nations on the tough terrain of the global stage. A keen look at the teams that graced the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar reveals that the coaches deliberately included budding players in their lineups.
For instance, Morocco named 18-year-old Bilal El Khannouss in their World Cup squad. The teen sensation became the talk of the town in Belgium courtesy of his excellent performances for Racing Genk.
The La Roja of Spain had 18-year-old Barcelona wonderkind Gavi in their squad. Gavi has already earned 12 caps for the Spanish national side and has scored one goal for them so far. But Firat seems to be more interested in finding the elusive quick-fix solutions to Kenya’s perennial headache. He has shown he would rather go for experience and physicality than obvious talent.
Kenya should shun coaches whose decisions are driven by the desire to fulfil short-term goals. We must have a transitional strategy where budding players are identified and exposed to competitions early enough to step into the shoes of legends who hang their boots.
Local football enthusiasts are even questioning how the tactician arrived at the list of the players he named in the provisional squad because he has never been spotted at the stands of local stadia during matches.
Even more disturbing are Firat’s remarks that smack of total disrespect for local talent. During an interview at the Two Rivers a fortnight ago, Firat ranted about the supposed ‘softness’ of players plying trade for clubs competing the Kenyan top-flight stage.
A couple of days before the team boarded their flight to Tehran, embarked on another tirade, claiming that one Iranian player is worth the entire Kenyan team combined.
Such remarks do little to bolster the self-esteem of our national team players, who are already smarting from major setbacks occasioned by a far-reaching Fifa ban and Covid-19-related complications.
A well-meaning coach ought to propel his charges to new heights with inspiring remarks, not the contrary. Firat must now learn to choose his words carefully if he wants to relate well with players and the country at large. He must desist from making utterances that border on contempt and which seem to underrate our players.
Foreign coaches employed in the country should refrain from remarks that seems to belittle our country. Only recently, AFC Leopards head coach Patrick Aussems found himself in hot water after calling a local journalist ‘stupid’.