Football veteran Otieno roots for support of local clubs’ coaches
Former Harambee Stars captain and Kenya Police coach Musa Otieno has called out the government to fix sports and also appealed to the public and club owners to support coaches.
Speaking exclusively to People Daily on Saturday, Otieno was a disappointed man.
“In Kenya, we take sports for granted, something that other countries have exploited economically and have advanced to greater heights. If we continue with this route, many people will continue to suffer as Kenya remains to be a laughing stock internationally in sports,” said Otieno.
Musa sympathised with his colleague Ken Kenyatta after his club Talanta was thrashed six goals to nil by AFC Leopards at Nyayo stadium in Nairobi during a Football Kenya Federation Premier League match.
Ailing industry
“It has been tough for us here. My players have gone ten months without pay, others are sick while some have simply given up,” said Ken Kenyatta after the game.
“Kenyatta should be applauded for supporting his boys throughout and even using his finances to cater for some,” said Otieno who also recalled his stint at the same club way back in 2016 as a coach, and added that he faced the same predicaments.
The former Harambee Stars skipper has also urged the government to take note of the ailing industry and come up with strategies that will be attractive to sponsors.
Apart from KCB, Tusker Fc, Bandari and Ulinzi Stars, the rest of the 14 clubs playing in Kenya’s first-tier football league are struggling financially.
Otieno, the most capped Harambee stars skipper also sees this as another route back to crime, divorce cases among other massive mental health issues because without finances, the current footballers might be tempted into the underworld, already a scene happening with match-fixing scandals currently. The Kick off to Hope Director is now calling upon all and sundry to understand the current financial.
situation and have an immediate remedy to the already failing industry.