Kenyan Soccer

Super 8 Finals

2007-06-15T21:16:00.000+03:00

Via email:

"Extreme Sports Ltd has the pleasure of inviting you to the finals of the sixth Edition Super 8 Soccer Tournament that will be held at the Nyayo Stadium on the 23rd of June 2007. The main event will be an exhilarating match between Buruburu Sacramento from Makadara constituency and Huruma Cranes from Starehe constituency. The winner of the tournament will be walking away with 250,000 Ksh while the runner up goes home with 100,000.

The Super Eight Soccer Tournaments registration average is a record 84 football clubs per tournament, making it the biggest and richest soccer tournament held in the country. Approximately 300,000 funs watched the preliminary games that were played in all constituencies within the Nairobi province.

We have successfully used this event to educate our youth on the dangers of Drug Abuse and created awareness on HIV/AIDS. Hundreds of jobs have also been created as a result of this venture.Herewith find a write up on the event.

Program line-up

1:00 P.M - Guests Arrive
1:30 P.M - Entertainment
2:00 P.M - Live Performance by Local Artists
3:00 P.M - Main Event Buru Buru Sacramento VS Huruma CranesFC

Your presence will be highly appreciated."

Be There!

It Lives

2007-04-27T19:16:00.000+03:00

following my survey to determine tha fate of this blog, almost all of you (92%) indicated that you wished to see this blog live on. Indeed, some of you sent very motivating messages and even offered to help. I thank you very much for this. This post is just a little note to tell you all that this blog will live on. I think I had lost my way a bit - but now I'm back on track. ;-)

Should KenyanSoccer.Blogspot.com Die??

2007-04-20T21:34:00.000+03:00

As you may have noticed, I have not updated this blog for a while and generally I am not as enthusiastic as I used to be. This is due to several reasons:

My original partners in this blog have all left
I am very busy with school and other things and now that I run this blog alone, the workload is sometimes too much
I am about to leave the country and will not be able to maintain it
Kenyan Football is full of politics and is generally very disheartening and disappointing

I was considering deleting this blog but I still have 'feelings' for it and would hate to see it go. It's got a link from wikipedia, for Pete's sake. Therefore, I thought I'd ask you, my readers, for some advice. Please vote on the poll below:

Take the poll

Free Poll by Blog Flux

If anyone is interested in helping me out with the running of this blog please contact me!

Road to the 2010 World Cup Final - With Love From New York

2007-04-20T21:30:00.000+03:00

It' been a while since I last met a true lover of the game. People say the like football but most do just that - they just say it. What would you give up for the love of the game? Not much, huh?

Meet Cesar, a real football-lover. By the way, he is from New York, USA. As he puts it, the US is a football wasteland. Yet, the beautiful game has managed to penetrate into the hearts of people there. Cesar's heart belongs to football. Let me give it to you in his own words:

"I fell into my love for football by accident. Like a lover who takes time to warm to you, I skipped by the game often in my life without paying attention. Then one day, it hit me between the eyes and my heart was forever taken. I'm now full-blown in love, married to the bounces of a leather ball.

Now, I want to devote a significant portion of my time to the game. I want to watch matches. I want to start a supporter's group for my club (Valencia CF). I want to volunteer in Africa and help children through the game.

And I want to go to the World Cup Final in South Africa in 2010." (Read more.)

I don't know about you, but I love Cesar already. Cesar runs a blog which is about, in his own words, "My journey from Brooklyn, New York January 4, 2007 to the World Cup Final match July 11, 2010 in South Africa. How will I get there? I have no idea. Join me as I travel around Africa, write a book, make some friends and watch the beautiful game!"

I would love to see Cesar make it to the 2010 finals. Want to keep up-to-date on his journey? Check out his blog: http://roadto2010final.blogspot.com

Who Else Can Remember the Great Johan Cruiijf?

2007-04-20T21:11:00.000+03:00

This a call for help by a recent commenter on this blog:

My name is Ruud Elmendorp and I am a Dutch video journalist. Currently I am in Nairobi and looking for somebody who knows Johan Cruijff from the days he was still playing. It's needed for a show in The Netherlands to be broadcasted on Cruijff's 60th birth day, the 25th.

Let me know asap,

Kind regards,

Ruud Elmendorp
http://www.videoreporter.nl

If you can, help the guy out. Contact me or leave a comment if you want his email address and/or telephone number.

Weekend Fixtures

2007-04-04T19:04:00.000+03:00

Did you Know? Football, a.k.a., soccer is an aphrodisiac? Research shows that the average soccer fan is 'n the mood' more often than the average non-fan. This is wonderful, don't you think? It's also unconfirmed. Anyway, why don't you confirm it for yourself b going out to a soccer stadium near you this weekend?

For some reason, the Super 8 soccer tournament's fixtures for the weekend have changed. Here are the revised fixtures.

April 7 2007:

Kasarani Constituency (12pm):
Baba Dogo Vs Lucky Summer
Westlands Constituency (3pm):
Kangemi Youth Vs WYSA

April 8 2007:

Kamukunji Constituency (12pm):
CASL Dads Vs Shauri Moyo
Starehe Constituency (3pm):
Forest Rangers Vs Huruma Cranes

I would have liked to give you the fixtures to the local premier league but those were unavailable. Maybe someone should do something about that. All in all, make sure you go watch a match.

A Royal Thrashing

2007-04-02T20:54:00.000+03:00

This weekend saw the start of the Super 8 Soccer tournament constituency finals and proved to be yet another weekend of awesome Super 8 action. Al Swafaa from Lang'ata were given a sound beating of 7-2 by the Iron Strikers.

Langata Constituency:
Iron Strikers 7 – Scorers: Wilson Lola 10th min, Erick Lukale 60th, 65th and 77th, John Onami 69th min, Andrew Maona 75th min and Paul Kungu 85th min
Al Swafaa 2 – Scorers: Nicholas Otieno 24th and 34th min

Embakasi Constituency
Dandonar Adjentos 3 – Scorers: David Sewe 25th and 48th min, Steve Odhiambo 80th min
Milo FC 1 – Scorers: Dennis Mwanza 6th min

Dagoretti Constituency
Kakamega United (3) 7 - Scorers: Patrick Kwikereza 7th and 78th min, Bonface Luchitio 81th min
Waithaka Babes (3) 6 – Scorers: James Muchiri 19th and 37th min, Kiarie Ndungu 90th min
Kakemega United won 7-6 on penalties after a three all draw at normal time

Makadara Constituency
Buru Buru Scacramento 2 - Scorers: Gabriel Omondi 57th min, Anthony Ondieki 75th min
Mbotela Kamaliza 1 - Scorer: Tom Chalo 65th min

Were You There?

2007-03-29T18:21:00.000+03:00

Entering the compound, one could hear people screaming, probably shrieking. People were huddled in little groups of about seven talking in nervous, animated voices. Everyone was nervous. That's probably why some were screaming/shrieking. A bit further into the compound, it was clearly visible. I had never seen anything like that at that place.

The place? Nyayo National Stadium. The time? Thirty minutes to kick-off. The occasion? The slaying of the Swazi by our very own Harambee Stars. Now, back to our story.

I had never seen people queuing at this stadium, let alone the long wavy queues that now snaked their way all over the compound. Everyone had a nervous smile and all conversation ultimately led to the exclamation: "We must win today!" But the general mood was gay, people were friendly and everyone was eager for the start of the match. So I bought my ticket and headed on into the stadium, passing through the tightest security check in Kenyan Soccer History (they wouldn't even let you go in with a bottle of water!)

The inside of the stadium was simply marvelous. By the time I had got in, close to every seat was already taken. The stars were on the pitch warming up, and a Mexican wave was making rounds amongst the seated fans. Some of the fans ( those from the VIP area) were getting some stick from the other fans for killing the wave once it got to them. They promptly got in on the act and the wave made complete rounds in the stadium. The response from the fans was heavenly : the whole place seemed to erupt in joy. I bet the Swazis already knew they were in for a bit of a thrashing!

Hardly had the game started when the guy over the loudspeaker announced that every single ticket was sold and the stadium was filled to capacity. I don't think that has happened in my lifetime. The fans were super, we sat through a good quarter of an hour's drizzle without even twitching a muscle at the thought of the rain (hehe) and cheered on our team, who weren't playing very well till then. Some fans were moving round the stadium motivating the rest of us and getting sections of the stadium loud and boisterous. Every attack by the stars was cheered on loudly. I was seated behind the goal which Kenya was defending and, hearing nearby fans shouting instructions to Origi (our keeper), I joined in. "Keeper, wacha kuenda sana. Rudi!" The uneventful first half came to an end.

If you haven't been to a packed stadium, with the Harambee Stars playing, and scoring the opening goal then you've seen nothing yet! Forget all about Alfred Mutua's car stickers - this is what patriotism is all about: erupting into wild jubilation with 30,000 fellow country men, and hugging everyone in sight. Mariga, for scoring the goal, must have been the most popular Kenyan at that moment. Everyone around me was singing his praises. Our nerves definitely calmed down a bit after that goal. They calmed down even more when the Swazi response was seen, was measured, and was found wanting. Now sections of the fans were shouting, "Oboya! Oboya!" They wanted him brought on. The pressure paid off and Mulee brought in the youngster. Almost immediately, he scored. This time, the fans did cheer, but not as much as they did earlier. It is interesting to note that Deno(Oliech) was playing real quality football and was deeply involved in every good Kenyan move and both goals. France definitely made him better. By now, we all knew the match was now all but over - the Swazi could not come back. They didn't.

Super 8 Soccer Constituency Finals

2007-03-28T18:22:00.000+03:00

This weekend brings with it the start of the Super 8 Soccer tournament's constitutional Finals which will all be played at the Nyayo National Stadium. Our premier league being all but dead, the Super 8 remains as one of the hottest soccer events in the country pitting various areas of Nairobi against each other. Make sure you make it to these great matches!

March 31 2007:

Lang'ata Constituency (12pm):
Iron Strikers Vs Al Swafaa
Embakasi Constituency (3pm):
Milo FC Vs Dandora Adjentos

April 1 2007:

Starehe Constituency (12pm):
Forest Rangers Vs Huruma Cranes
Makadara Constituency (3pm):
Mbotela Kamaliza Vs Buru Buru Sacrament

April 7 2007:

Kasarani Constituency (12pm):
Baba Dogo Vs Lucky Summer
Westlands Constituency (3pm):
Kangemi Youth Vs WYSA

April 8 2007:

Kamukunji Constituency (12pm):
CASL Dads Vs Shauri Moyo
Dagoreti Constituency (3pm):
Kakamega United Vs Waithaka Babes

Harambee at Nyayo

2007-03-25T21:43:00.000+03:00

Today the Harambee Stars beat Swaziland 2-0 in a pulsating encounter at the Nyayo National Stadium, which was packed to capacity. The first half of the game was rather dull but the game burst into life during the second half when the stars went out to attack the Swazis. It wasn't long before Mariga scored a superb goal followed by Oboya scoring his after Oliech did some superb work on the flank and supplied the cross. All in all, it was a good game for us. Considering the fact that we've been out of international soccer for a few months before this, we should take some pride and say: Kenya has a good team. Woohoo!

(I'll be blogging more on this later)

Tommorow is a Big Day

2007-03-24T21:05:00.000+03:00

Kenya Vs Swaziland

Sunday, March 25, 2007

0700hrs Tickets sales begin. Gates to Nyayo stadium open
1400hrs The two teams leave their hotels with Police Escort for Nyayo National Stadium
1500hrs Teams at the Stadium for usual Inspection/ Checking Arrival of the Guest of Honour
1540hrs Teams march to the pitch and the National Anthems played
1550hrs Guest of Honour accompanied by KFF Chairman, Match Commissioner and Swaziland Team Leader greet the two teams
1600hrs Match kick-off
1645hrs Half time break
1700hrs Start of second half
1745hrs End of match
1830hrs Teams and Match officials leave the Stadium for their respective hotels.

We simply must win this one so as to have a realistic chance of making it to the Africa Cup of Nations next year. Be there, let's support our boys as they do us proud. (Technically, they are men but bear with me :-))

Barclays Sponsors Soccer

2007-03-20T15:15:00.000+03:00

The secondary schools' soccer tournament received a major boost when Barclay's offered a sponsorship worth sh. 9 million. The 3 year contract will be used to purchase equipment and kit to be used in the schools' soccer competitions.

This is great. It is exactly what we need since talent has to be tapped and nurtured right from the start. Hopefully it will go a long way into helping develop young promising footballers. Let's also hope that the current confusion doesn't continue long enough to destroy what this program may build.

Weekend Action

2007-03-20T15:04:00.000+03:00

It was an even more chaotic weekend as things are quite hectic now that FIFA ruled that the two leagues have to be unified into one 18-team league.

Tusker 2 Sony 1
Mathare Youth 0 Sony 1
Gor 0 KCB 0
Mumias 2 Mathare United 1

This Week

2007-03-19T01:08:00.000+03:00

I've been a bit under the weather so, as you may have notice, the real world has kept me away from wonderful blogosphere. But now I'm back, I hope.

This week has been pretty eventful for our beautiful game. As you should know by now, FIFA let us back in last week. this week they sent a bunch of guys to ensure everything was alright. These guys were supposed to ensure we adhered to certain conditions. They did just that and made it clear that the local premier league will have only 18 teams this season. That's final. That means AFC go down to the lower division. The FIFA team may also be onto something that may cause another storm by demanding KFF account for the FIFA monies they've been spending. That's cool with me - no when should get rich when all we get are hoarse voices from our wild cheering at local games (right?) ;-)

Good old Mulee is back as head coach, with Twahir Muhidin as his assistance. They have a tough job preparing the stars for Swaziland, who have been preparing furiously for the encounter with us. They held South Africa to a draw. The match will be this coming Sunday at the Nyayo National Stadium. BE THERE. It was moved to Nyayo from Kasarani specifically so that us fans have an easier time commuting.

The week also so intense discussions amongst the warring factions in our football in attempts to comply to what FIFA wants. Let's hope these bear fruit.

A New Day Has

2007-03-10T15:29:00.001+03:00

We were waiting for so long
For a miracle to come
We all knew we needed to be strong
Hold on and don't lose hope

Finally, FIFA lifted the ban on our football and thus Kenya re-enters the international football arena, meaning we can continue trying to qualify for the Africa cup of Nations - Swaziland awaits already us. Of course, all this is dependent on certain conditions.

(First paragraph courtesy of this site)

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Constituency Semi-Final Action!

2007-03-06T16:00:00.001+03:00

The Super 8 Consttituency semi-finals were red-hot weekend with the pick of the matches being the elimination of former champions Dandora Youth by ten-man Milo FC in a very entertaining match at the Nyayo National Stadium. Here are the results:

Milo FC 3 Dandora Youth 3 (Milo won 3-2 on post-match penalties)
BuruBuru Sacrament 4 BuruBuru 58 FC 0
Mbotela Kamaliza 3 Bedjos FC 0
Forest Rangers 4 Ngara Youth Pelico 1
Huruma Cranes 0 Mathare Outreach 0 (huruma won 4-2 on penalties)
Iron Strikers 4 Kenyatta Youth 2
Al Swafaa 1 Kibera Zulu 1 (Al Swafaa won 5-4 on penalties)

The local league is still chaotic with two parallel leagues in coexistence.

Tusker 3 Homegrown 2
Chemelil 2 KCB 0
World Hope 1 Mathare Youth 1
Mathare United 0 Thika United 0
Mahakama 3 Kangemi United 1

This Week in Kenyan Soccer

2007-03-02T16:16:00.000+03:00

It turned out to be a very uneventful week despite having the makings of a monumental week because of the big FIFA decision that was due yesterday but never came. Still, we found out that Kamanda isn't such a nice guy and may even be just another politian suffering from ADD. He's not sent the letter he's supposed to according to the most recent roadmap out of oblivion for our game. I hate politicians. Get out of the football scene, please.

In other news, you'll never guess which is the most famous team in Kenya, as voted by you.

Finally, an apology. I have not been able to come up with a list of fixtures of the current season due to the chaos in the league. Therefore, the links to fixtures in the sidebar may not work as you expect them to. Sorry about that.

A Big DAy For Us

2007-02-28T15:15:00.000+03:00

well, this is it. Today is FIFA's deadline for us to put our house in order. We clearly haven't (yet) but things are looking up after the meeting with CAF officials yielded some results. AND CAF put a Kenyan referee in charge of an Africa Cup of Nations match - this can only be good news. Let's hope today we get even better news: may they please lift the damn ban!

Which is Your Favorite Team

2007-02-27T16:27:00.000+03:00

I love KCB because in the 2003 season I went to almost all their games - my cousin was playing for them then. That year they won a cup competition - I'm not sure which one! So, readers, which team do you guys like the most? Leave a comment saying why.

Get Free Opinion Polls

As you can see, I included Supastrikas. Here's why.

This Week in Kenya Football

2007-02-24T14:05:00.000+03:00

The happenings of this week, though few, are very significant. There is hope yet for our football as the CAF meetings convened by Kamanda bore fruit. The meeting convened at the request of CECAFA Secretary General Nicholas Musonye to CAF President Issa Hayatou confirmed, four resolutions to be implemented immediately, enabling the country regain re-admittance back into international football. These are:

That there be a full implementation of the 28-point Cairo agreement. It was noted that KFF/CAF/FIFA were party to the agreement and the revival of Kenyan Football has to be based along the path agreed upon in Cairo.
That the Minister of Sports of the Government of Kenya, cease with immediate effect, further interferance of the running of football in the country. The minister had earlier made a committment to CAF president Issa Hayatou that he will no longer interfere with KFF and it's affiliate clubs.
That KFF officials withdraw all court cases relating to football. Acting KFF Chairman Mohammed Hatimy and suspended Alfred Sambu had to make a committment to withdraw all pending court cases.
That KFF call a National Congress to confirm the agreements with regards to number of premier league teams, ratifying the suspension of Alfred Sambu and other fine details according to FIFA stipulations.

What about the media? Are they to blame?

2007-02-24T13:30:00.001+03:00

In all honesty, Kenya Football is in a real mess. The KFF is inefficient, corrupt and lethargic; the government is insensitive, inconsiderate and interferes with football resulting in unsolicited and unwanted outcomes; and the fans don't show up for games. Could things get any worse? Yes. There's a fourth player in the let's-ruin-our-football game. What about the Fourth Estate?

In a perfect world, the media would actively participate in the resurrection of our soccer. They would bring back the passion for local football by highlighting the good aspects of our game all the time (or even at least as much as they highlight the foreign football leagues). They would make any football loving Kenyan want to go and watch local matches just by talking about our football in a positive way. They would cover every match, publish pictures, show us short clips of matches on TV, and generally make us feel envious at how much fun it was watching a certain game live. AND albeit the local premier league is dead, there's still good football out there the ongoing Super 8 Soccer tournament being one of them so the excuse that local football doesn't warrant the media's attention is just hogwash.

But this is not a perfect world. In actual fact, our media pays little or no attention to our local game. That's why a leading daily newspaper can publish plainly wrong facts and not even offer a simple apology. This week, the Nation had the audacity to claim that the Super 8 Soccer tournament was in the quarter final stage clearly not true!. The fact that that story was published clearly shows that no research went into the story and the editor didn't even bother to check the facts. Scandalous! If that was not bad enough, I have seen with my own two eyes journalists (names withheld) asleep or busy with their newspapers, books and whatnot at a soccer game that they are supposedly being paid to cover. The straw that breaks the camel's back, however, is the shocking fact that journalists take bribes to take sides in the local football chaos. I blame the media for everything wrong with our football.

I believe that blogs like this one are also part of the media and so in blaming the media I blame myself also. We can do so much more to build our football!

Super 8 Fixtures

2007-02-24T11:22:00.001+03:00

Today
Dagoreti Nduararua Grounds
Waithaka Babes Vs K-Rep Bank
Kakamega Youth Vs City Landers

Embakasi Dandora Stadium
Dandora Maono Fc Vs Dandora Adjentos
Dandora All Stars Vs Umoja Renegades

Lang'ata Woodley Stadium
Ligi Ndogo FC Vs Kibera Zulu
Al Swafaa Vs Undugu Youth

Kamukunji  Morrison Primary School
Shauri Moyo FC Vs Uprising
Country Bus Vs Salem

Tomorrow
Starehe Huruma Grounds
University of Nairobi Vs Mathare Outreach
Huruma Youth Vs Huruma Cranes

Makadara Hamza Grounds
Buru Buru Sacramento Vs Makongeni Youth
Buru Buru 58 FC Vs Hakati FC

Kasarani Baba Dogo Grounds
CDC Korogocho Vs Kariobangi Sharks
Lucky Summer Vs Githurai United

Westlands Kabete Technical
Rysa Vs ACK Kabete
Brook United Vs Wysa

Another look at Hon. Kamanda

2007-02-22T14:24:00.000+03:00

All along, I have villified our sports minister in this blog because I believe he should no better than to meddle in local football when FIFA specifically warns agaisnt any government interefering in football. AND also because I just don't like politicans.

However, sometimes I feel that the minister is doing what any sensible government should do. I mean, the KFF officials have been tormenting our football for decades and its a good thing to try and stop this. Perhaps the minister is the champion we've been waiting for to save our football. In theory, he'd come in, rid us of the poisonous elements in KFF and then remove all government influence in football and voila! Our favorite game would prosper. Perhaps our good minister had this in mind. The sad fact is that his actions just drove us deeper into the mud that we're stuck in right now.

Recently, he held a meeting with the CAF president Issa Hayatou and invited CAF officials to come hold talks in kenya to try and resolve our issues. Rumour has it that the talks are already bearing fruit. This action makes me think that perhaps Kamanda does have our interests at heart. If that is the case, kudos to him. Thank you, honorable minister.

Weekend Results

2007-02-20T15:14:00.000+03:00

Though it was yet another weekend of chaos in the premier league as both parallel leagues continued, fans were treated to exciting football through the Super 8 soccer tournament where favorites Leviticus were dumped out of the competition and Dandora Youth survived a scare.

Gachie Sportiff 4 Leviticus 1
Kangemi Youth 4 Pirates Youth 0
Baba Dogo United 1 Githurai Sportiff 0
Mbotela Kamaliza 3 Mbotela Angels 1
Ngara Youth Pelico 5 FC WhyNot 1
Dandora Youth 0 Komarock Rangers 0 (Dandora won 3-1 on penalties)
Milo FC 3 Dandora Youngstars 1
Kakamega United 1 Gachui Black Boots 0
Melta Kibiria 2 Talent 1
Kariobangi 2 Stima 0
Iron Strikers 2 Kuwinda 0

Premier League:
KCB 3 AFC 1
Mahakama 3 Agro Chemical 3
Mumias 3 Shabana 0
Homegrown 1 thika 0
Mathare youth 2 Coast 1
Ulinzi 1 gor 0
Mathare 1 Sher Agencies 1

Over to you, Mr. President

2007-02-19T14:32:00.000+03:00

Over the weekend, KFF officials called on the president of the republic of Kenya to personally come in and rescue Kenya Football from the clutches of Hon. Kamanda who is leading us into football wilderness. They even went as far as suggestion that football be moved from the ministry of sports to the office of the president as part of 'special programmes'.

Let's hope all this leads us somewhere other than a long FIFA ban.

This Week in Kenya Football

2007-02-17T12:17:00.000+03:00

Surprisingly, it was a quiet week in which the usual stand offs, threats and whatnot were conspicously absent. That's a good thing, don't you think. In fact it was a good week for our football. For one thing, kenya moved up FIFA rankings despite having lost our two last games and being out in the cold thanks to A FIFA ban. That's pretty amazing. I imagine that we'd have moved up even further in the rankings if we had not been banned.

To sum up our good week, yesterday Mohamed Hatimy wrote a letter to the minister of sports seeking a truce so as to save Kenya Football. I must say this is a very admirable and welcome move. Aren't things looking up? Hopefully the governement will respond in kind and work towards putting an end to all this mess, and register us for the 2010 world cup before it's too late.

Kenya moves up FIFA rankings

2007-02-15T15:25:00.000+03:00

Despite being out in the cold thanks to a FIFA ban, the Kenya national team moved up in FIFA rankings from 129 to 127th in the world. However, we still lie behind Uganda(102) and Tanzania(109). Read full story here.

Did you know that KFF referees won't be hired by the Nyamira Secondary Schools' Sports Association to officiate this year's ball games? They'll train games' teachers instead. Why? Because previously, KFF referees instigated fights between competing teams by poor officiating.

Giants fall

2007-02-13T16:08:00.000+03:00

The Super 8 soccer tournament is Kenya's very own knock-out football. Lose one game, and you're out, see you next year. This weekend saw the tournament enter its sixth edition and was a real giant killing occasion where favorites like Gladiators, Black Mamba and Veg Pro (just to mention a few) were knocked out by relative minnows. Folks, this is what soccer is all about. Most of the teams in this tournament are teams representing various regions of Nairobi and hence emotions run high as you head to the game to cheer on not just your neighborhood team but also your neighbors. Call it grass roots football but this is the real stuff; the stuff that fans love! I can't wait for some of the teams from my home, Starehe Constituency, to play!

Perhaps this is precisely the reason why the local premier league is lacking in fans (incidentally, Super 8 matches are full of fans). You go to a stadium to see strange teams play in an empty 20000 seater stadium. Doesn't Sony Sugar FC leave a bad taste in the mouth? I think we should have more regional teams in the top flight. Here are the weekend's results:

Kakamega United 2 Gladiators 1
Gachui Black roots 2 Impala 1
Komarock rangers 3 Soweto 1
Buru Buru Sacramento 1 Black Mamba 0
Mbotela Angels 4 Hamsa heroes 3
Baba Dogo United 2 Metro Sports 1
Gachie FC 3 Delways 2
Waithaka Babes 2 Hidden Talent 1
Milo FC 1 Veg Pro 1 - Milo FC won 6-5 in post match penalties

and in the bland parallel local leagues:
Coast 1 Homegrown 0
Red Berets 2 Gor Mahia 1
Mumias 3 AFC Leopards 0

This Week in Kenyan Football

2007-02-10T14:58:00.001+03:00

The week started with a painful reminder of the effects of the FIFA ban on Kenyan Football when KFF halted issuance of International transfer certificates meaning Kenyan players will have a really hard time trying to get to play for teams outside Kenya. However, a bit of this news' sour taste was removed when the start of the Super 8 tournament was announced - only for it to be reinstated with the realization that the Supastrikas are kings of Kenya!

Kamanda, the destroyer, mad matters worse when he literally signed Kenya's ticket to football hell. He decided to only hold negotiations with KFF officials after a court ruling due on the 28th of february - incidentally the last day of the FIFA deadline to Kenya. Indeed, FIFA are playing hardball but our good sports minister is a man under pressure and seems to have resorted to dirty tricks. Maybe he is at fault in all this and should just leave our game alone. We do not need politicians in football!!

The Most Popular Team in Kenya

2007-02-08T16:41:00.000+03:00

If we take out the obvious fan-favorites like Arsenal and Man u, which team do you think is the most popular in kenya? Perhaps the once mighty Gor Mahia? Or their arch-rivals the AFC leopards?

Wrong, and wrong. I say the most popular team in Kenya is the Supastrikas. For one thing, they have a huge fan-base and play in a fabulous league. They even have a website! Note that Kenya's Thika United are the only tem that have a website to write home about. It is well designed, well maintained and even, gasp, regularly updated. Perhaps some of you mayhave seen Mathare United's website and wonder what i'm talking about. True, they do have a website but, up until a few months ago, it hadn't been updated for years. What about the other teams? Nope. No websites. Not even Tusker(ironically, they are bankrolled by EABL) or the champions, Sony Sugar.

But perhaps it doesn't make much money-sense to invest so much in a team that plays in a country whose football scene is in shambles. Maybe that's why the most popular team in Kenya exists only in comic books. The Daily Nation say it best:

'Unfortunately, what is portrayed in the Supastrikas remains just that: a dream far removed from the reality of the miserable drag that is the Kenya Football Federation (KFF) Premier League.'

So, is the most popular player in Kenya Shakes Makena?

It's Here!!

2007-02-06T18:17:00.001+03:00

The much awaited Safaricom Super 8 football tournament is finally here to save us from the current chaos in the local league. For those of you who don't know, the tournament is held annually and attracts teams from all the 8 locations(if my std. 4 GHC serves me right) of Nairobi. Over the weekend, the current champions, Dandora All Stars, were held to a 1-1 draw by the previous year's champions, Dandora Youth. The game was a friendly to serve as a curtain opener for the tournament, which has been characterized by huge turn outs by fans.
It seems Embakasi is King of Nairobi.

In other news, here are the results from the parallel local league matches over the weekend.
Howgrown 0 Mathare Youth 0
Red Berets 1 KCB 2
Gor Mahia 1 Mumias 1
Sony 0 Mahakam 0

Mumias 2 Kangemi 1
Mahakama 0 Shabana 0
Thika 0 Mathare Youth 0

This Week in Kenyan Football

2007-02-02T17:08:00.000+03:00

Even by the high Kenyan standards, this has been a strange week indeed. As we all know, FIFA had a meeting that could have resulted in the lifting of the ban it put on Kenya. As expected, they(Blatter & Co.) dashed all our hopes and didn't lift the ban. However, our good sports minister applauded the decision. Maybe he forgot that all other countries are preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations, not to forget that Tanzania are going to Brazil! At least he got a letter! (If you know what I mean.)

In other news, while our coach was scouting for talent, the team bus was sold, by a former KFF secretary General, no less. Talk of milking us! Also, the goverment hit out at FIFA and was promptly served with a warning while the case against Munro was declared illegal!

Let's hope sanity returns soon, even as we look forward to yet another weekend of two parallel leagues!

Olaba at Work

2007-02-01T15:19:00.000+03:00

We all know that the Kenya national football team has been banned by FIFA since last year. But does anyone know where our (current) national coach is?

Folks, it seems like we finally have a coach that cares. Olaba was recently in the North Eastern province hosting a football tournament, scouting for new talent for the Harambee Stars. And it paid off! He invited one promising middlefielder (who he, incidentally, compared to Ronaldinho) for try-outs with the Stars. Now the only problem is the nagging question: when will the Harambee Stars play again?

Normal Service?

2007-01-30T16:15:00.000+03:00

So this weekend saw the return of action to the local league, albeit under the confusing circumstances of the FIFA ban and the looming danger of parallel league chaos all over again.

Still, its better than nothing, right? Let's hope we don't slip any more and that this turns out to be a step forward.

Here are the results:

Sony 1 Ulinzi 0
Mathare United 3 Coast Stars 0

The Chemelil Vs Agro Chemicals match was not played because Agrochem refused to play it, citing chaos in the local league. Let's hope that they'll live to regret that decision and that there's no chaos.

Other results (Sunday's):
AFC 0 Gor 0
Sony 1 Red Berets 0
Tusker 2 Mathare youth 0
World Hope 2 Coast Stars 1

Hope?

2007-01-20T16:36:00.000+03:00

I don't know if we'll get some regular football action back any time soon. Evrything seems to be going horribly wrong regarding our football. But I guess we just have to hope that all goes well.

Hope to hold on,
Hope to believe in,
Hope to faith,
Hope to trust,
Hope to endure,
Hope to God,

Would you go see a local game?

2006-12-30T12:28:00.000+03:00

So here are the results of this survey.

So this means that only 4 in 10 of you would go watch a local football game. Incidently, 2 in 10 of you would NOT go to see a local game.
Why is this so?
Don't we all want our game to grow?
Tell me: why would YOU go see a local game? What needs to be done before YOU can go see a local game?

Perceptions. A survey.

2006-12-15T12:56:00.000+03:00

Nyayo National Stadium
Originally uploaded by moshthepitt.

Scenes of empty stadiums are not uncommon during even the best matches in the Kenya premier league.

In an attempt to find out why, I came across the startling discovery that people thought going to a stadium, to watch Kenyan football, was a bit 'extreme' and even unsafe. Most people simply laughed at my suggestion for them to accopmany me to the next match.

Yet these guys are die hard football fans whop wouldn't bet an eye-lid before heading to Tacos for the Manu-Arsenali game or even a local rugby game.

I'm not sure wat this means. Therefore, I'm extending my survey to you guys. Please vote on the poll below.

Take the poll

Free Poll by Blog Flux

We're Back!!

2006-12-07T11:18:00.000+03:00

Some of you were probably wondering what the hell happened to this blog. I mean, its been what two months?

Well, never fear, kenyansoccer is here. (I always wanted to say that!). Its just been a rally busy couple of months that has kept me away from blogging. Besides, we all know the shambles that our Kenyan soccer is in; it was kinda depressing blogging about all the shenanigans.

But the premier league is about to re-start and we're still praying for the Harambee stars so its about time we witness the return of Kenyan Soccer to the blogsphere!

I've got some exciting news: I'm very close to securing the use of a camera(+video) phone for this blog so you should expect loads of pics and clips when the matches start! Have a lovely day, everybody!

Huh!

2006-10-14T13:34:00.000+03:00

It was the same old crap this week. I dont even want to talk(write) about it!
Why? Would you want to write about Olaba coming home with badfuls of excuses but no results and a premier league in shambles, with teams like Sony scheduled to play to matches at the same time, in competing leagues?

Somebody save us.

But we have some good news (eat that! Sambu & co.), the first Kenyan to play for a top US team in the MLS. Read about it!

Live Soccer

2006-10-11T11:16:00.000+03:00

Let's not talk about the sad news of the 3-1 loss to Angola.

Instead, lets focus on the positives, KFF's mandate ended. Lets hope that KFF's dirty hand will be permanately out of the Harambee Stars. Today, the Stars' management board takes over. Cool.

In another news, I thought it prudent to share this comment by Anonymous with you:

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rEbirth

2006-10-04T09:52:00.000+03:00

Last weekend, the Harambee Stars drew 0-0 with the Taifa stars of Tanzania.

Normally,I would look at this news as yet another blow to Kenyan football. Kenya was and should still be the absolute soccer kings of our part of the world!

But it was Olaba's first game in charge, following the Lama fiasco. I like Olaba's confidence, although I'm not too sure that he can deliver-we drew with TZ! This weekend, we play Angola in Angola. I don't expect too much from that match-I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a respectable draw.

What I am really forward to is what comes after Angola. The Harambee Stars management board takes over. Exciting!
Say it with me: "The Storm is Over."

------------------------------------
In other totally unrelated news, we have some updates on tricool, superblogs and explorers.

Kamanda to the rescue!

2006-09-30T14:58:00.000+03:00

Yesterday, sports Minister Maina Kamanda made my day!

He created a body of corporate-types to manage the Harambee Stars, including the cash. Basically, this was because KFF has failed us and so they should move over and watch the 'Proper Management of Harambee stars' show.

This is great news, because I believe the people appointed to the management body are high-achievers and people of integrity who will deliver. The body is headed by Nation Media Group's Kiboro and includes other corporate hot shots like Ester Pasaris...read about it here
Kamanda also issued an ultimatum to KFF and KPL, threatening to dissovle KFF. Cool!

Today, there's going to be a happy ending to this story, unlike this one.

Question: Is a blog part of the media?
Regardless of the answer, I'm all for the media blackout (see the 'happy ending' link).

Lovin' IT

2006-09-22T08:28:00.000+03:00

Talk about drama.And to think that our local TV broadcasing actually pay to import soaps from a far as South America,Spain..... when the real shit is happening in our back yard.
The league makes kina Diego look like amateurs

Stay tuned KFF/KFF-PL or is it KPL will start showing on saturday and sunday between 8.00-9.00 on your channel of choice.
Dont miss it as the drama unfolds.

Ps For those who are not in Kenya sacks to you.

The Silver Lining

2006-09-18T16:25:00.000+03:00

Every cloud has a silver lining, so 'they' say.

Does this apply to the dark nimbus cloud that is Kenya soccer/Kenya football? And while we're asking questions, who are 'they', anyway?

Yes. Even though Sambu and Co. are seemingly doing their utmost to ruin our game, we still love it and we still play it. We even sometimes play so well that we write home about it. Cool, isn't it?

The Kenya Under 20 team did just that, admist all the hulla balloo that arose from Dan Omino and his cronies' highly questionable management of the game in recent times. The Kenyan lads beat Sudan 1-0 to reach the semi-finals of the East and Central Africa Youth Championships in Burundi. They might go on to lift the trophy. Thay beat all odds! Including those thrown at them by KFF! (They had to travel to the tournament by bus-a 36 hour road trip!, etc.)

Or take the example of the Safaricom Super 8 tournament, whose organisers have clearly read 'How to Popularize Sport'. This tournament has been a massive success, pulling in crowds that we all though impossible at our stadiums, except for national-team games.

Bottom line: KFF you can't ruin our football completely. No matter how hard you try. You'll go thew same way you came. Sooner or later.

Erase and Rewind

2006-09-17T20:50:00.000+03:00

So the new KPL( i.e. the not backed by KFF/KFF-PL) premier league started this weekend.
If youhave'nt heard the news, we're back to square 0. There gonna be two rival leauges in Kenya.
There's a KPL league and a KFF-PL leage.

Tusker won 3-0.

Sikuenda kuona match. I'm disillusioned. Where did it all go wrong? Does Omino care? Sambu? Munro? Does anyone care?

We just want to love our football and be proud of it. Don't make it political.

Erase and Rewind.

Can Kamanda help?

Its Busines as Usual

2006-09-10T21:13:00.000+03:00

This week, the KFF issued the matches' schedule for the next season of the top league in Kenya. While at this, they also proposed the formation of a company to manage top flight football in Kenya. Nice, eh?

In the meantime, the KPL(a company formed a few years back to, you gussed it, manage the top flight football in Kenya) met and discussed matters soccer, also. They reduced the number of teams to 16 and, I think, also issued their own version of the match schedule.

Not to be outdone, Lama went on a one-man strike demanding a formal contract for himself and his technical bench. Akina Twahir came out backing him saying his move was wise since KFF still owes them money. They also asked to be paid since Lama should not get preferential treatment just for being a foreigner.

Seemingly in a world of their own, KFF strongmen Dan Omino and A. Sambu brushed it all aside as if it wasn't really important. It was all yada yada, "Lama will be back, don't worry" yada "We have a sponsor in waiting, just have to finalise things" yada.

As some teams declared they will not participate in the upcoming President's cup.

Its all too familiar; they always f*** us up-whoever really manages Kenyan soccer-KFF, KPL.......whoever, should just be..........[I almost said SHOT]

I should have.

Lama, Our Coach

2006-09-04T20:43:00.000+03:00

Friends, get a load of this:

It has now emerged that Lama is yet to get a professional contract and still stays at the Kshs. 10,000 per night SafariPark Hotel. The KFF has not formalized contracts with his assistants Ghost Mulee and Arnold Origi. Under these circumstances, it is clear that Lama was doing a lot of charity work.

Surprisingly, while Lama was being pelted with bottles and stones, KFF officials were nowhere to be seen, as they had sneaked out of the stadium through the VIP exits. That being the case, it is more than obvious that the head coach should be fully in-charge of the national team, and be provided unlimited access to facilities. He should also get direct assistance from the Ministry of Sports, currently under the able direction of Hon. Maina Kamanda.
Go here for the full story.

A few comments on the above post:
Yes we lost, yes there are many reasons for the loss.
many coaches the world over operate under strident conditions, even teams participating in the world cup, especially from Africa often go through a lot.
the suggestions by KF that we grant Lama a blank cheque cannot go unchallenged. Before taking the job, Lama knew what, where etc of our football. They failed to deliver period. His neck is on the chopping board because we expected something better - three losses in a row is too much to take especially for teams ranked below us.
If Lama cannot work within the demanding constraints of Kenya, he better does the needful. As a soccer fan, i'm not comfortable with a francophone coach- oter games are different, soccer is unique. Most leaned people have diffulties in understanding him during interviews, what about our mostly average players? Kenyans have a way of doing things, like most anglo-phones, a francophone coach inexperieced at the international level will face serious challenges. Ndenga Nyakwar Taya

he needs our support as kenyans who are proud of our country,but if we decide to become pessimists we will not add any value to ourselves,if we continue throwing abuses at our players instead of giving support ot them then we are breaking them and not making them it doesnt make a team by being happy that it was oilech who lost the penalty,that being a traitor. Dj Lovett

My take:
Although 3 losses in a row is hard to take for a proud Kenyan like myself, I still beleive Lama should be given some more time. Especially if he is being frustrated by the usual suspects, akina KFF.

Its sad, indeed, to read of the kind of mess that KFF puts us in. We try so hard to love our football but in the end it doesn't even matter! Why do the people who are supposed to lead us, to channel our love btray us so? Why, oh why?

Yote yawezekana bila KFF!

However, this doesn't give LAMA the opportunity to mess us up. If you can't handle the job, now that you know what being the head coach of Kenya really means, then you must leave. NOW!! But if you genuinely want to give it a real hard honest effort then I'm with you.

ERITREA?

2006-09-04T19:54:00.000+03:00

Eritrea 2 Kenya 1
That says it all. Maybe you still dont get it: ERITREA 2 Kenya 1.
Kenya is only the 3rd country ever to lose to Eritrea.

What can I say, it was shameful and downright disturbing. I mean, a new coach , new kit, new sponsor, new players........things were looking good. Only for Eritrea in cohoots with Origi and Oliech to shatter our dreams.

Which international goalie ever missed as Origi did? For those of you who didn't see the match, the first goal came very strangely indeed. A routine back pass resulted in an embarrasing disaster. Suffice it to say that Origi, who is normally very dependable, alijaribu kurusha mguu mbinguni and the ball went under and into the open goal. 1-0, 14 minutes into the game. Mambo equalised mid SECOND HALF with a superb header only for Eritrea to equalise barely two minutes later courtesy of a Musa Otieno blunder (missed header). A few minutes later, Oliech misses a penalty, shooting it wide of the goal.

I tell you, I've seen kenya play worse but I can't really remember when. I guess I had come to Kasarani, together with 17999 other Kenyans, full of hope and expecting nothing less than a 5-0 thrashing of our Northern brethren. Talk of hopes being ruthlessly dashed and the most rude awakening to face the cruel reality that kenyan football is in trouble!

The fans were great. We never gave up hope.......till Oliech missed that penalty. We always knew we could win the match, only when Oliech brought us back down to Earth did the 'Lama must go' and 'yote yawezekana bila Lama' chants start. We were previously doing, 'We love you Lama'.

If you think about it rationally, Kenya didn't play very badly. It wasn't good stuff but it was palatable, for now. We controlled the match from start to finish but just couldn't score. It was like modern day Arsenal who do all the hard running but still can't score. In fact, we were a bit worse coz we didn't have that many shots on goal!

But I'm still hopeful. Its just the first game. We could always improve. Plus:Swaziland wanakaa hawajui anything about footah, going by their 2-0 loss to Angola. They...er....didn't play very well. Anyhoo, the onus is now on Lama. Show us what you're worth, man!

In other news, Kenya's longest soap ended last weekend. Sony Sugar won the Kenya Premier League with a 1-1 draw with Shabana.

Shower

2006-08-24T14:58:00.000+03:00

Shower
Originally uploaded by moshthepitt.

The average Kenyan football fan is starved of any real local football frenzy or excitement. Being in a rural high school, this was especially true for us. The problem was further compounded by the fact that we were about to face the toughest exams of our lives.
I remember that day perfectly. It was a hot Wednesday afternoon, just a few days to our final - national - high school exams. Due to this, we were uptight, tired and full of worry. AND we had not played football for months!
On that fateful day, we got a break. Forty minutes at the field playing the game we all love! This was a godsend. We were, after all, dedicated lovers of the game and a decent team that loved playing together. Those 40 minutes were amongst the very best in my whole high school life and no words could adequately describe them. It was a thoroughly enjoyable, refreshing and soothing game that took away all our worry, at least for a few hours.
As fate would have it, it would be the last game we ever played together. At the end of the 40 minutes of magic, our moment of joy-the purest form of joy (that brought on by football) was, thankfully, captured on film and framed in a time capsule for us to cherish forever.
This just goes to show that no matter who you are, no matter what you do, whatever your worry - even if its the worst kind of not having a good team to support - the game will always love you. All you have to do is love it back, and celebrate it!

PS-just takin a break from the usual.

Calling out to YOU!

2006-08-09T12:55:00.000+03:00

So coach lama jetted in this week to meet his team and staff for the first time, and get down to work. I don't know, I am getting all excited with anticipation. I have this feeling that Lama will do great despite the mountain that is KFF and Kenya football politics that face him.

His first challenge is to see off the ethiopian in Ethiopia this Saturday. I wish it was in Kenya coz I would have just loved to see Lama's first game in charge. I hope they do well.

Speaking of which, the Kenyan ladies were torn about by the indominatable lionesses of Cameroon and beaten 5-0. In Nairobi! So that makes it 9-0 aggregate. And so we are out of the Cup of Nations(female version). I hear that Kenya played negative football throughout the match, despite them needing to win the match by more than 4 goals. It seems all soccer Kenyan is in trouble.

Today there is an emergency meeting of KFF, KPL and al the premier league clubs to try and sort out the mess that they find themselves in. What mess? Well, Gor were relegated by KPL only for KFF to rule that Gor are not relegated; Mathare United are up in arms after they were relegated by KFF for fielding Mulama, who allegedly was still an APR (Rwanda club ) player; the league champions are still unkown; all the clubs relegated this season are claiming that the league was not fairly run and that they should not be relegated..............

That's where we are at, folks. It all seems like a stand-off between KPL and KFF. Who runs the premier league? If it is not KPL then what's it purpose, why have it? If its KPL then what in God's name is KFF doing meddling in KPL's affairs. I do not have any answers to these (or these) questions. Do you know anyone who does....If you do, then let him know that I'm calling out to him/her. Please answer my questions.

In other News, Kenya are due to play Tanzania in Nairobi very soon. This is your opportunity to come cheer on Lama and the boys as they demolish the Tanzanians. I won't miss it. Will you?

This story badly needs an un-happy ending: Securicor are no more. They were disbanded after their sponsor, formerly Securicor, withdrew all sponsorship. Another club bites the dust.

Hii League Niaje?

2006-07-31T16:15:00.000+03:00

The Kenya Premier League champions identity still depends on the outcome of the Sony Vs Shabana match. But, according to the today's Monday Football, Gor can win the league!

Yeah they can. If KPL readmit them into the premier league and If they honor (or are allowed to play all the matches they missed) and If they win all of those matches, then mighty Gor will be the champions of Kenya......IF Sony lose their last match. Those are lots of IFs but its a possibility. And by the way, KFF ruled that KPL should not have relegated Gor and ordered their reinstatement. However, the KPL refused to go back on their decision. So who has more auhority? KFF Vs KPL.

So Kenya have a new coach, Mulee is the assistant and things are looking up for our harambee Stars. As they start training for the first Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Eritrea, lets all take a moment and pray that KFF don't mess this one up. Lets face it, time and again Kenya's qualification campaign starts so brightly only for some KFF fat cats to mess it up.

In the meantime, the female Harambee Stars lost heavily to Cameroon in Cameroon last week. Pray for them also as they prepare for the return leg and lets all swarm to the stadium on that fateful day to shout down the West Africans all the way back home.

Still on this, I found it puzzling that after Kenya's loss some new players were called up to 'stregnthen' the team. So, is this to say that the 'srongest' team did'nt go to Cameroon? Why? How? Didn't they want to win?

Does anyopne from KFF or KPL or anyone even remotely connected to the management of Kenyan football read this blog? You might have noticed my restraint at pointing fingers and villifying you. I urge you to respond in kind and kindly answer, or attempt to answer, my questions.

Here's some Zizou fun.

Almost Over

2006-07-17T15:12:00.000+03:00

The KPL is almost over. Currently, most teams have played their last matches and Tusker and Sony are tied at the top with 74 points, Sony having played fewer games.

Its going right down to the wire. The identity of the new champions will be revealed after the fate of the aborted Sony Vs Shaban match is decided. Its exciting stuff!

Over the weekend, tusker battled to a 3-2 win over Shabana to keep their title hopes alive in a pulsating encounter.

Forza Italia!

2006-07-10T16:55:00.000+03:00

foto4berlin.de WM 1093
Originally uploaded by .foto4berlin.de.

"..........Italy the great! Left back the great! Happy birthday to Maldini! Forza Italia! The victory belongs to Italy, to Grosso, to Cannavaro, to Zambrotta, to Buffon, to Maldini, to everyone who loves Italian soccer!" An Italy-crazy Chinese commentator.
I'd like to know what he was like when Grosso slotted in the last kick.

Well, Its over. We have new world champions. Its time to head home, relax and plot for the next world cup. Lets hope we also do the same.

Here's a running commentary for the whole world cup, all the matches!

Weekend results:
Ulinzi 4 Mathare 2
KCB 0 AFC 0
Hope 3 Sher 0

AFC 0 Kisumu 1
Mumias 1 Ulinzi 0
Mathare 1 Securicor 0

......................P...Pts
Tusker.........37...71
Sony.............36...71
Thika...........38...67
Mumias.......38...64
Sher.............37...61

The Road to 2010

2006-07-02T17:32:00.000+03:00

foto4berlin.de WM 906
Originally uploaded by .foto4berlin.de.

Amidst all the fanfare of the World Cup I must admit that I simply must go to the world cup in SA. I feel like I can't afford to miss this month-long party, especially when the tournament is coming home to Africa.

I would simply love it if the Harambee Stars would make it with me to SA 2010. And we can do it! We're in an 'easy' group in which the only real threat should be Angola.

Here's a nice post on how we can ensure that we get to SA.

The weekend saw another stunning effort by Shabana when they came fron 2 nil down to beat Mathare Youth 3-2 in a pulsating encounter.
Results:
Shabana 3 Mathare Youth 2
Securicor 3 Berets 1
KCB 2 Agro 1

July 3 2006: Please note the correction below:
The.Hanyeé said...

We're in an 'easy' group in which the only real threat should be Angola.

Umm..pole for the correction but this is for the Africa Cup of Nations 2008 Qualifiers...these will have nothing to do with the WC2010..the qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations 2010 will be the ones used to determine Africa's reps at the World Cup later that year...

Either way...we need to get our act together to even navigate the "easy" group to get to Ghana in 2008...intensely and fast..

AFC Hold Tusker

2006-06-25T21:28:00.000+03:00

The AFC Leopards surprised us all when they held Tusker to a 1-1 draw courtesy of a last minute penalty. Elsewhere, both tusker's and Mumias' champion aspirations hit a stump as they both lost on Sunday in what can only be described as shocking defeats.

Other results:
Saturday:
Sony 1 Agro 0
Sher 2 Kangemi 1
Ulinzi 2 Telkom 2
AFC 1 Tusker 1
Sunday:
Shabana 1 Chemelil 0
Securicor 2 Tusker 1
Coast 2 Mumias 0
Thika 1 berets 0
AFC 2 Mathare 1

World Cup Fever

2006-06-17T12:53:00.000+03:00

Hi everyone. I hope you're all as exhausted as me at having cheered all world-cup long.
Its heartbreak indeed for the Ivory Coast but Angola and Tunisia got two points for us so there's hope, ama?
Ghana and Togo may also pull something off, lets hope.

The Kenya Premier League resumes this weekend and will probably not get anyone's attention but if you have time, go and watch a game and learn the names of the ones you'll be cheering for in 2010 where Kenya have a good shot at making an appearance.(I certainly will!)

I came across an interesting site. There are many sites streaming world cup games for free(I think) but I think this site is the only one doing it in 2D, live! Try it: GlobalScore.

Other World Cup Links:
Running Commentary by our very own mama mia
2006 fanposter or read about this great opportunity.
The official worl cup blog.
The official World Cup site.
World Cup @ google.
The list would'nt be complete without some cool world cup photos.

Have a lovely weekend.

Lets thank the Ivory Coast for giving us something to cheer on, and good football.
God bless Ghana!!

KPL Results:
Thika 2 Shabana 1
Mathare Youth 1 World Hope 1
AFC 0 Chemelil 0

The Passion

2006-06-11T12:16:00.000+03:00

I felt it yesterday. It was exciting and completely fulfilling. It was all-consuming!

Did you feel it too?

Having left the comforts of home, I found myself in a local pub that was completely jam-packed full of football fans. There must have been 300+ people and the air was heavy, making it difficult to breath. No one was complaining, though. The occasion? Argentina Vs Ivory Coast.

Could you believe that there was absolutely bo soul in support of the mighty Argentina at that particular pub? Yeah. We cheered, we jeered, we cursed, we laughed and, ultimately, we left for home bitterly disappointed.

I don't particularly like Drogba but when he scored, the whole pub erupted into a whole 5 minutes of wild celebrations(me inclusive). The match was lost but the Ivory Coast fought bravely and gave us heart to return to that same pub for the Angola game.

We were real fans. If we had known the Ivory Coast anthem, we'd have sung it. However, I do believe that everyone was secretly wishing that it was Kenya out there doing us proud. I so wish this were so.

The World Cup looks likely to overshadow the national league but here are the results:

Mathare 2 Ulinzi 0
Sony 1 Chemelil 0
Telkom 0 Mathare Youth 1
W.Hope 0 Agro 0
Securicor 0 Shabana 0
Thika 2 Kangemi 0
Ulinzi 0 Coast 0

What is goin on? Ivory Coast, Angola and Ghana lost! I dont think I can take any more disappointment but still I soldier on. Lets pray for both Togo and Tunisia.

Gor Mahia, can you hear me?

2006-06-05T14:12:00.000+03:00

So after an anonymous fan paid off Gor's fine (sh. 45000) Gor still refuse to honor their matches claiming that...........I dont know; what is their reason?

It must be good because everytime they forfeit a match they lose points and as you might well know, they're awfully close to relegation. An interesting drama is unfolding. After Gor take KPL to court, can they be given an opportunity to regain all their lost points? I do not think so.( At whose inconvenience?)

My lawyer friend was saying that Gor should (at law) strive to mitigate their losses, even if they plan to take KPL to court, but do I say? Gor 'lost' 6 more points over the long weekend.

Here are the results:
Sony 1 Kangemi 1
Tusker 1 Berets 1
Chemelil 2 Ulinzi 1

Agro 3 AFC 1
Securicor 2 Hope 0
Kangemi 2 Shabana 1
Sher 3 KCB 0

Thika 1 Mathare 1
Agro 3 Berets 0
Hope 1 AFC 0

Now the good news: A Belgian organisation is financing the setting up of Under-12 and Under-16 football leagues.

Kenyan Blogger's Day

2006-06-01T10:40:00.000+03:00

Nyayo Stadium
Originally uploaded by moshthepitt.

As we remember Madaraka day come Kenyan Blogger's day, Lets also remember that blogging is driven by the need to have a free voice speaking out for/against anyone.
For all the bloggers out there, we love you.
For all the non-bloggers, why dont you blog?
This being such a special day, why not head over to Nyayo national Stadium and celebrate it?
Celebrate football! (and fill our stadiums!)

Si we all go to Germany?

2006-05-31T15:17:00.000+03:00

Hey.
I'd like to let you know about an excting thing, the 2006 fanposter.
Better yet, 'hear' it from the horse's mouth:

The Fanposter gives 2006 soccer fans world-wide - especially those
that do not have the time or money to travel to Germany - the chance
to be part of the World Cup. Our goal is to connect enthusiastic fans
- the ambassadors of their country - peacefully and face to face on
one giant poster. So far we are pretty successful given the amount of
fans (over 500 fans from 60 countries) and the feedback we receive.

The 2006FanPoster is the fanposter for the 2006 FIFA World Cup 
and can be seen at the final game in the Olympiastadium in Berlin!
Until then we allow 2006 Fans to join the 2006FanPoster to show their
support and enthusiasm for the greatest sporting event of the year!

We are a non-profit fan initiative with the ambitious goal to unite
2006 fans on one large poster. The Fanposter gives fans from all over
the world the opportunity to upload their funniest, craziest, most
memorable fan picture and their supporting cheer (statement). This
service is entirely free for fans who share our passion and
enthusiasm for soccer. So far, over 500 fans from 60 countries have
subscribed and it's great seeing this colorful poster growing every
day.

Our link: http://www.2006fanposter.com
Our logo: http://www.2006fanposter.com/press/logo/fanposter.jpg

I think this is a great opportunity for us to 'Kenyanise' the poster. I'm proudly
the first kenyan fan to register and I hope many (all) of you will follow suit.

Thank God for football, ama?

The Return of Tusker?

2006-05-30T15:08:00.000+03:00

It was an absolutely action packed weekend. The only relevant question is: where were YOU?

Tusker FC inched closer to top spot after drawing 1-1 with Mumias in what was the weekend's hottest game. And this is taking into account the other hot game; a 4-1 thrashing of Kisumu Telkom by, you guessed it, Tusker. It looks like we have a winner, Tusker are just one point behind Mumias despite having played 5 games less.

Results:
Chemelil 1 W.Hope 0
Tusker 4 Telkom 1
Mathare Youth 1 Agro 0

Mumias 1 Tusker 1
Shabana 1 Berets 0
Chemelil 1 Thika 1
Agro 1 Securicor 0
W.Hope 1 AFC 0

Football being football, you never can know what will really happen. All the top 5 teams have a shot at the title in what appears to be the most exciting season in years.

Gor Fans will be happy to know that Gor is out of the red, so to speak, after paying a fine of sh.45000 imposed on them after their fans roughened up a referee.

The top five teams:

TEAM...........P .....Pts
1.Mumias........ 35... 60
2.Tusker.......... 30... 59
3.Sony............ 31... 58
4.Thika............ 31... 56
5.World Hope....32... 50

Kichinjoni

2006-05-22T16:44:00.000+03:00

Yanga 3 Ulinzi 1
Coast 5 Telkom 1
Red Berets 3 KCB 0
AFC 2 Securicor 0
Tusker 1 Sony 0
Kangemi 2 W.Hope 2
Chemelil 0 Mathare 0

W.Hope 2 Berets 0
Mumias 0 Sher 0
Mathare Youth 0 Sony 0

It was indeed a wretched weekend at the abbatoir for both Ulinzi and Tewlkom.

Telkom's woes were increased by a 5-1 thrashing at the coast while Ulinzi went down 3-1 to the Young Africans (Yanga) of Tanzania in the ongoing CECAFA Kagamen cup.

Elsewhere, AFC avenged a 3-0 defeat to Securicor earlier in the season by beating them 2-0.

Speaking of slaughterhouses, I haven't yet heard of a Kenyan club side that boasts a fortress of a home stadium-except maybe Panpaper who, it is rumored, use the foul smells from their nearby paper factories to their advantage! More seriously, I hear both Sony and Mumias are hard to beat at home.

Can anyone tell me(us) of any other fortress(es)?

Better yet, can anyone name any team's home stadium?

More Drama

2006-05-16T16:43:00.000+03:00

In a sudden twist of fate, Mumias jumped to top spot after beating the previous leaders Sony.
A weekend packed with excitement also saw Ulinzi win a match only to lose to St. Georges yesterday in the ongoing Cecafa Kagame Cup. Ulinzi are Kenya's representatives.
AFC's game was called off due to the field being unplayable. Interestingly, it was called off when AFC were leading 1-0.
However, the most exciting action came in the off season Safaricom Super 8 finals at Nyayo stadium. Dandora Youth took home the trophy, and the 250K after winning a thrilling, enjoyable match.
Other Reasults:
Premier League(both Sato and Sunday)
Mumias 1 Shabana 0
Mumias 1 Sony 0
Chemilil 0 Tusker 0
Sher 2 Thika 1
Tusker 2 Agro 1
Securicor 1 M.Youth 1
Rained off:
AFC- Telkom
Mathare- Red Berets

CECAFA Kagame Cup
St. Georges 3 Ulinzi 2
Ulinzi 2 Zanzibar Police 0

Safaricom Super 8 Final
Dandora Youth 1 Huruma 0

Folks, the season looks like it will end spectacularly as all the six leading teams have a realistic shot at being premier league winners.Needless to say, such a situation rarely occurs in any of the european leagues that currently enjoy a cult following.

Team P Pts
Mumias 30 58
Sony 29 57
Tusker 27 52
Thika 32 52
Sher 31 48
World Hop 24 43

-------------------------

In other, totally unrelated news: I,d like to let you know that Egypt( i.e where you can find egyptian pharaos in egyptian pyramids) is not in CECAFA.

Shabana are almost there

2006-05-08T15:00:00.000+03:00

This past weekend saw Sony Sugar consolidate their position at the top of the league while Shabana almost assured themselves of relegation in spite of their draw with Gor.

Saturday
Coast 3 Agro Chemical 1
Telkom 0 Gor 0
World Hope 1 Mumias 0
Chemilil 1 KCB 0

Sunday
Sher 1 Shabana 1
Mumias 2 Gor 0
Chemilil 0 Mathare Youth 0
Sony 2 Red Berets 0
World Hope 0 Telkom 0

Sony Still Top

2006-05-02T18:12:00.000+03:00

Sony are still top after beating Gor Mahia over the Labour day weekend. Moreover, the match did have a fair number of fans. It was great. You shoulda been there. Come to think of it, where were you?

In other news, Tuskers demise from top stop continued after they were beaten by Thika Utd, another team that was once top of the league not too long ago. This is exciting. I dont know who will win this league.

Here are some of the results:

Sony 2 Gor 0
Thika 2 Tusker 1
Mathare Utd 1 Coast 1
Mumias 1 AFC 0

Read This

2006-05-01T17:17:00.000+03:00

No soccer news today, I just think you should read this article.

Kudos to Nick for the great post.

Sony Hold on to Top Spot

2006-04-27T13:36:00.000+03:00

Sony held on to first place by beating World Hope. This is despite good performances by their closest rivals.
Here are the most recent results:

Thika United 2 Securicor 1
Tusker 3 Coast Stars 0
Sony 2 W.Hope 0
Mumias 1 KCB 0
Chemelil 0 Berets 0
Ulinzi 2 AFC 1

Shabana 1 W.Hope 3
Coast 4 Kangemi 1
KCB 2 Shabana 0
Sher 2 Agro 1
Mathare Youth 1 Gor 2

Utamu Wa Ushindi

2006-04-22T17:22:00.000+03:00

Mathare United
Originally uploaded by moshthepitt.

The fruits of one's labour is all sweet. How much sweeter is the fruit of eleven's labour?
Mathare United celebrate their win.

Sony Now Top

2006-04-19T11:54:00.000+03:00

In a twist of events at the top of the premier league, Sony Sugar went top after the Easter weekend matches. They beat Mathare United 2-0.

Our Kenya under 20 team beat Djibouti 1-o and proceeded to the next round of the competition because Djibouti will not be able to host a home match(and we thought our soccer was bad!).
The Kenyan Ladies team, however, went down to Nigeria and lost embarassingly on aggregate. It seems that problems of old are back to haunt us as the girls lay fault on KFF.

In other news, several matches scheduled for the long weekend were inexplicably postponed.(Actually, it is said that the rescheduling was due to bad weather and the Kenya-Djibouti game.) and it was not immediately clear when they would be played. These matches are:
Gor-Tusker
AFC-Mathare Youth
World Hope-Sher
Thika Utd-Ulinzi
Red Berets-Mathare Youth

The weekend's results:
Sony Sugar 2 Mathare 0
Mumias 0 Chemilil 0
Coast Stars 0 Securicor 0
Kenya 1 Djibouti 0 (Under 20)

Mumias walked over Kisumu Telkom after the latter failed to show up for their game on Sunday at Mumias.

Battle For Top Spot Heats Up

2006-04-15T12:01:00.000+03:00

This weekend sees the battle for top spot in major European leagues heat up as runaway leaders seek to cosolidate their position with the chasing pack trying to catch up. Of course, the story is no different right here in Kenya.

The two top teams lost yesterday, thus throwing the title race into the open and making it rather difficult to predict the eventual champoins( unlike in other better known leagues).

Tusker were humiliated and went down 3-0 to Sher Agencies while Thika United were beaten 1-0 by World Hope even after their keeper saved a penalty. This means that any of the four top teams have a real shot at lifting the trophy.

The long weekend isn't over yet so lets hope there'll be more drama....

Enjoy the match you're going to watch.

Thika United Go Top

2006-04-11T15:36:00.000+03:00

Results:
Sunday
Thika 4 AFC 1
Tusker 0 Mathare 0
Sony 1 KCB 0
Gor 1 Chemelil 0

Saturday
KCB 2 Shabana 1
Gor 1 Agro Chemicals 1
Red Berets 0 Kisumu Telkom 0
Ulinzi 5 Securicor 0

AFC Leopard's woes continued as they stayed in contention for relagation. This once mighty giant is now in all sorts of problems. As one of the readers(HASH) asked, what is the problem?
I do not really know but I think its a messy mix of lack of funds, corruption and mismanagement. Can anyone shed some light on this topic?

Immortal!!

2006-04-11T14:40:00.000+03:00

From Left to Right: Njeri, Nicho, Alice, Jaya

Folks, these are the first four members of the yet unofficial kenyan soccer fan club. The pics were take at the end of the Mathare-Mumias game last weekend. We think everyone else in the stadium was not a real fan but conected to the game in some way(stadium caretaker, player relatives, club officials, reporters etc) so could we be the only real fans at the game?
See you there next weekend!!

Game Pics

2006-04-11T14:33:00.000+03:00

Kevin Ochieng Celebrates His goal

Referee in action

Game ilikuwa Ngumu
Mathare Launch an attack.

These photos are from last weekends game; Mathare Vs Mumias

Tusker Held

2006-04-11T14:17:00.000+03:00

We made our way to Kasarani for the weekend's game featuring tusker Vs Mathare United.
Contrary to our expectations of a really, really hot match( tusker were top of the league) the match turned to be an uninspired 0-0 draw whcih saw Tusker lose pole position in the league and reliquish it to the impressive Thika Utd.

In other news, there seems to be a cartel of sorts controlling the entry-fee collection in our premier league matches( or at least in Mathare united games). I noticed this because as I was approaching the stadium entrance, a friendly guy pointed out to me that the game was free, and he did enter free. I, on the other hand, had to pay sh100 despite my protests. Maybe it was because I had females with me. Moreover, my friends Nicho and Ndonga confirmed to me that they paid only sh50. What's going on? And you won't belweive this: the tickets issued to us were those of Mathare's 2002 champions league match. Can anyone elaborate further?

Some good news: our fan base increased to 10 people! Njeri and Alice didn't show up but others did, including Sara, Roy, Ndonga, Nicho, Linda and me. I do realise that you do not know these people so there's no piont in me writing their names. However, I want to evoke some emotion from them when(if?) they read this so that i get them to come back. Cool trick, ama?

Anyway, why didn't you come? No excuses!

Empty!!!

2006-04-11T13:38:00.000+03:00

This is just to show you how lonely fottball matches can get......don't let this happen. Go watch some football! Ama?

Ma Fans

2006-04-07T16:26:00.001+03:00

The unofficial kenya soccer club doubled in number on Sunday to 4 people! We headed for the Mumias Vs Mathare game at the Nyayo National stadium.

Having learnt our lesson last weekend, this time we arrived at around 3.45pm (just before kick-off). Still, we had to wait until after 20 minutes after kick-off to enter the stadium. Why?

The anwer to that question demonstrates our lovely Kenyanness. We're all Kenyans (and we love it!) so Nicho and I weren't surprised to wait the extra 20 minutes for Alice and Njeri, the new fan club members. I suspect they were still in bed at 4.00pm but hey, who cares!

It was worth the wait. We laughed, chatted, caught up on stuff and made lots of lovely noise! The really great thing was that the rest of the fans did so too. It was great! Even though the stadium was still 7/8 empty.

But we'll fill it, won't we? Join us.

Oh, and we got pics. Don't yay! yet though, as the pictures have not yet been transfered onto the net. Its expensive to upload pictures, so please bear with the situation. While taking the pictures, a strange thing happened. We waited till the game ended and tried to 'fake' ourselves cheering. Isn't this deliciously Kenyan?

Have a lovely day.

Mumias Sunk by Mathare United

2006-04-03T14:10:00.000+03:00

A brilliant secong half goal by Kevin Ochieng sealed Mumias' fate yesterday as they went down 2-0 to Mathare United. United were clearly in control of the game and were duly rewarded by a beautifully taken goal in the first half before Ochieng ensured his team's win.

Other results:
Mathare Utd 2 Mumias 0
Red Berets 4 Sher 1
KCB 1 Thika Utd 0
AFC 1 Kangemi Utd 0
Chemelil 2 Agro Chemical 0
Coast Stars 0 Sony Sugar o
Ulinzi 1 World Hope 1

First Game - Tusker Vs KCB

2006-03-29T12:51:00.000+03:00

Having gone through hell to find that Tusker would be playing KCB on Sunday at Nyayo National Stadium, my friend Nicholas( aka Nicho- pronounced knee-chow) and I arrived at the stadium at 2pm ready to lose our voices after 90 min of fun.

To our surprise, the place had no indication that any match would be played there that day. No signs, no posters, no attendants......just worshippers streaming out of a church? I guess man really must live.

We walked around aimlessly ( and no one seemed to notice us) until we came across a friendly old man who rudely warned us never to ask anything of him, ever. A friendly woman finally answered our question. There would be a game after all, at 4pm.

[4pm] The tickets were sh. 100 at the main entrance. The only visible indication of the impending start of the game was the KCB 'bread' bus bringing their players and the burly gate attendants/ticket sellers.

The game itself was a dull affair but you could see that the quality of the football was not as bad as people usually say it is. It was watchable, even exciting at times.

The thing that was missing, however, was the fans. I estimate that approximately 100 people were ther with the majority of these being club officials, players' family and reporters (who, by the way, seemed more interested in reading newspapers than watching the game).

In my humble opinion, all that was needed was a few loud fans to set the atmosphere alight. Hopefully you'll join us to do just that next weekend.

The match ended 1-0 with Tusker winning after being awarded a controversial late penalty. Their goalkeeper, Victor Onyango, slot in the spot kick.

Sorry folks, no pictures yet but the rest of the weekend's results are:

Saturday:

Tusker 3 World Hope 1

Mathare United 1 Kisumu Telcom 1

Ulinzi 1 Mathare Youth 1

Thika United 1 Coast Stars 0

Sunday:

KCB 0 Tusker 1

Gor Mahia 1 Securisor 0

World Hope 3 Coast Stars 1

Kangemi United 2 Kisumu Telcom 0

Sher Agencies 0 Chemelil 0

Mumias 1 Red Berets 1

The Plan

2006-03-29T12:38:00.000+03:00

Wouldn't it be great to have Kenyans follow local soccer with as much passion as Europeans follow their soccer (or even as much as Kenyans follow european soccer)?

That is the plan. To build up a following for local soccer. It'll take time but we'll get there, I beleive. But how we do it, I have no idea. Do you?

I have noticed a lack of information on Kenyan soccer and have decided to provide the missing info. With information I hope to culture interest in local soccer ultimately leading to unconditional love for the local game.

I have almost zero resources at my disposal so, at least at the beginning, it'll be hard. For instance, there won't be as many pictures as I want there to be but I guess its a start.
My friends and I have formed a local soccer association and we aim to attend at least one game every weekend, make noise, take pictures, have fun and then tell you all about it in hopes of interesting you to join us.

It is a good plan? I don't know. What do you think?

Lastly, I ask one thing of you: support this blog by reading it, at least occasionally. We all want to further develop our soccer, don't we?

First Post

2006-03-28T13:32:00.001+03:00

To put it simply, this blog is about the beautiful game. The game of soccer, the only game to ever be described as a religion.

I recently tried to find the Kenya premier league fixtures and was shocked at just how difficult it was. I still have not found the league standings table.

Kenyans do love soccer, right? Then why don’t we love our own soccer? I already know what you’re going to say (corruption, mismanaged, low quality football), yeah I’ve heard it all before, and I’ve even said it. BUT, as fans don’t we have responsibility to love the game regardless of what happens? I mean, that’s what soccer is all about; you win, sometimes you lose, you even get relegated, anything can happen in football but the passion of soccer fans lives on, it must. So that when your team gets out of the doldrums, success is that much sweeter because ma-fans wanajua wametoka mbali.

Soccer already has a passionate following in Kenya- you should only see the scramble for seats at pubs that offer DSTV on weekend afternoons, or even for Harambee Stars’ match tickets. But we need more passion.

That’s what this blog is about: the further development of Kenyan Soccer.