On Saturday I happened to be at the Holiday Inn at the Two Rivers Mall where I bumped into the Harambee Stars squad as they slipped into a room for a pep talk with the coach, Firat Engin, before heading out for training in the rainy Nairobi climes.
I even had a quick chat with goalkeeping coach Jerry Onyango and took a selfie with goal hunter Michael Olunga. I wished the two gentlemen all the best in their friendly tie against Iran in Tehran.
It was an interesting meet because last week I was a man on fire, firing broadsides at the Stars selection team for leaving out Gor Mahia defender Dennis Ng’ang’a and Simba SC defender Joash “Berlin Wall” Onyango from their list.
The local social media scene was afire too especially on the issue of Onyango.
Then the Stars nabobs added fuel to it by cutting out the leading scorer in the Kenyan Premier League Benson Omala, also of Gor Mahia, from the travelling party. I was horrified, to say the least.
Writing on a local chat forum, this is how one pundit Ondara Zablon Kerima put it: “How do you justify the exclusion of the league’s top scorer from the national team?
The job description of a striker is to score goals and that’s what he (Omala) has been doing as evidenced by the 19 times he has found the back of the net.
I understand the international stage can be a different ball game altogether, but being a friendly why not give the league’s best striker a chance to prove his worth? Omala’s exclusion is unfair and discouraging.”
I wholeheartedly agreed with Kerima’s sentiments and followed the heated debate as it continued. However, come midweek I was forced to reevaluate my stand on the Omala matter, especially after reading an account from Tony Anelka.
Now Tony is a man I follow keenly on social media because his posts are usually well measured and devoid of the emotional outbursts so common in cyberspace.
Now Tony is not just any fan when it comes to matters Gor Mahia, seeing as it is that he has served in the past as the club’s communications main guy.
This is what he had to say: “I see fans complaining about Omala being dropped from the national team.
My honest view is, it’s just fine to drop the lad at the moment — for those who were keen, Omala picked an injury before last league match and against KCB, he really struggled— he wasn’t at his best, meaning, he wasn’t 100% fit.
A national team is normally a quick fix— a hurriedly assembled team for a task and so, only fit players can be used.
May be the coach noted and opted to rest him because it wouldn’t make sense anyway to have him in the team but not used — the coach is right on this and he has nothing personal against the player and just by calling him up to the provisional squad, shows he believes in him but he had to make a decision on the final squad. It’s just a friendly match ( nothing big ).
He will miss, and Omala is still young and has shown he has a great future so we can hope he gets call ups for future competitive matches.”
I happened to have been at the Nyayo National Stadium on the day Omala received a knock in our game against Mathare United and had to be stretchered off midway to the match. The effects were visible in the next game against KCB a week later.
In other bitter sweet news, I am hearing that the lad could be on his way to South Africa. Sweet news that he will have a chance to improve his game and his fortunes but sad that he is leaving us.
