OPINION: The heat is on Okumbi, Mwendwa to shine

On February 10 moments after vote counting was over at Nairobi’s Safaricom Indoor Arena and Nick Mwendwa announced the winner, scribes were all over the new Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President with what many had been eagerly waiting to ask.

And the excited hitherto Kariobangi Sharks chairman boldly announced he would take Kenya to the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

It will take time for him to be held account on that promise, for the qualifiers tournament are far but, on Wednesday, a 2017 AFCON fixture against Guinea Bissau will present a real opportunity for his critics and admirers to judge the short ‘Team Change’ administration.

First, like the Biblical Moses who found Israelites crying to be delivered from 400 years of cruel oppression by Egyptians, Mwendwa took over when change was all what every Kenyan football fan wanted.

Now it is time for the Exodus to the Promised Land. If the Red Sea cannot separate and the enemy is hot in pursuit, the ‘children’ will be vocal with their dissent.

Even among voting delegates, the ICT guru instilled burning spirit and enthusiasm of ending Sam Nyamweya’s much-faulted tenure on the hot seat.

Optimism was evident. With his well thought and coined ‘Team Change’ slogan, he won and the change he talked about, has to live its true meaning.

Yes, it was change in not only transparency and accountability in managing federation’s finances, making and executing policies regarding running of the local leagues, preparing national team for international duties, laying down structures for vibrant grassroots football but above all Kenyans are dying to see their beloved Harambee Stars win matches.

And Guinea Bissau is here.

Bobby Williamson who started the journey to the Gabon 2017 finals was shown the door by Mwendwa a few days after his election and Stanley Okumbi, the novice former Sharks coach was given the ardours task of delivering what the experienced Scotsman could not.

Williamson managed a 1-1 draw away in Congo Brazzaville, a side better by far than Guinea Bissau in terms of achievement and FIFA rankings with Paul Were scoring Stars goal in the 12th minute of that game.

Pressure mounted on the Scot when the team lost their next match at home to Zambia 2-1 last September and after failing to lead the side to defend their Cecafa regional crown, he was living on borrowed time and so it proved.

Okumbi’s appointment was however, met with trepidation and Mwendwa’s faith in his decision to appoint the young soft-spoken coach to sell his vision of the national team’s progression under his rule will be put to test in Bissau.

Having worked together before at second tier Sharks, a thought of a friendship based appointment was foremost at critics mind.

The selection of two uncapped Sharks players in the final 20-man squad that will face the hosts at the 20, 000-seater Estadio 24 Setembro in Bissau only fanned the pressure on Stars to deliver a favourable result.

The idea of measuring success on the basis of a single match is not fair, but that is how the current world of football is.

Last Saturday, Zambia who are jointly at the top of group E with Congo Brazzaville on four points shockingly kicked out national hero Kalusha Bwalya from their federation’s presidency, in spite his legendary status both as a player and a coach for the Chipolopolo.

Andrew Kamanga, a business man won that election, proof no one is above reproach.

For Stars, so far so good, player’s traditional outcry for allowances has not been heard.

Travel arrangements to Bissau have faded the grotesque memory of the infamous Cape Verde trip which players delayed until the last minute due to an unpaid chartered jet and the team went on to lose by 2-0 in Praia in a second leg of the World Cup qualifier ending their 2018 journey to Russia.

Nyamweya had to pay for that dearly.

Even as Kenyans wait eagerly to see the footing on which Mwendwa and Okumbi start, the pair can only hope the ink that writes a CV in the world of football will not spill and put an ugly picture but slide smoothly on their so far untarnished white paper.

All the best Harambee Stars, all the best Mwendwa.