•As much as Mwendwa wouldn't want to agree, Kenya's main undoing is how national team coaches are treated
•The FKF president conceded they headed into the Mali tie fully aware they would be handed a thorough hiding
•Changing personnel at whim only serves to destroy the invaluable gains already made in the process
Image: FILE
Football Kenya Federation honcho Nick Mwendwa is not pulling back his punches anymore.
On Tuesday, Mwendwa – visibly distraught from Harambee Stars' 5-0 drubbing by Mali – jutted out his claws and recklessly tore into the men's national team, saying the playing unit is bereft of talent.
Mwendwa even conceded they headed into the Mali tie fully aware they would be handed a thorough hiding and all they wanted was to give the young squad a much-needed international exposure.
His sentiments are not surprising though. This is a true reflection of the pathetic culture widely witnessed in most Kenyan institutions where bosses hog all the credit and bask in the limelight of success only to abandon their employees when the waters turn stormy.
It makes no sense at all for the FKF boss to deride a squad whose existence he might have had a hand in. Speculations have been rife over the years that Mwendwa purportedly influences team selection although this can merely be treated as a rumour given nothing tangible has been provided to substantiate the far-reaching claims.
Mwendwa's outbursts expose him as someone bereft of real leadership qualities. Leaders are expected to walk with the rest of the team through thick and thin. They embolden the strong and encourage the weak.
Ironically, Mwendwa attributes Harambee Starlets' successes to proper structures established by his administration. It's hard to figure out how women thrive while men fall flat on the face under the same structures.
As much as Mwendwa wouldn't want to agree, Kenya's main undoing is how national team coaches are treated. They are hired and fired in the most bizarre fashion and style.
The fact that seven coaches have been recruited within the six years Mwendwa has been in office speaks volumes about his style of leadership. Curiously, Mali have been with the same coach over the same period.
I fully agree with Mwendwa that not even Mikel Arteta or Jose Mourinho can breathe some life into our national team. I, however, disagree with him on one thing: they wouldn't fail because of a weak squad rather because of sufficient time to mould a winning outfit.
An organisation that lacks the capacity to retain its top talent will always play second fiddle to competitors in a cutthroat business. Anyone familiar with the intrigues of coaching will readily agree that it takes time to build a winning side.
Changing personnel at whim only serves to destroy the invaluable gains already made in the process. The man currently occupying the hot seat is Turkish coach Engin Firat who was brought in barely days after Jacob "Ghost" Mulee was axed.
Firat's credentials may be in question but his professionalism certainly isn't. Unlike Mwendwa, the Turkish gaffer chose to shoulder the blame for Kenya's loss to Mali and even asked local football enthusiasts to spare his charges unnecessary flak.
Likewise, Mwendwa's administration should spare Kenyans the theatrics they have so far subjected us to by retaining one coach over a lengthy period. It's, indeed, the only way Kenya can raise a formidable team that can charge effectively on the continental stage.