SOFAPAKA NEED TO GET THEIR ACT TOGETHER

In recent years, Kenyan Football has been on a rennaicance of sorts and in the thick of the resurgence of the game from the unrelenting murks and bogs of corruption, was Sofapaka F.C.

Birthed in 2002 as a men's team for a fellowship, Sofapaka  proceeded to the nationwide league ( Kenya's second tier football league) in 2004 under the stewardship of current chairman Elly Kalekwa. Their penchant for upsetting odds continued as five years later, Sofapaka found themselves in the Kenya Premier League and boy,did they announce their grand entry or what! In their maiden voyage, the Sofapaka ship set on sail and rattled, erased and rewrote the history books by becoming the first team to claim the KPL title in their first try.

From there on however, the odyssey has been topsy turvy, but their exploits in CAF Confedarationd cup in 2011, one that saw them overcome Egyptian powerhouse Zamalek(in the process breaking Kenyan team's jinx against North African opposition) and steamroll all the way into the play-off put them in their own place in the records of Kenyan football of recent times. Those heights have never been reached, neither have they come close to being reciprocated yet the 5-0 whitewash in the hands of Tusker f.c was a new low for the once illustrious epitome of good management, belief and fortitude.

In their current form (which even bad is too good to quantify), finishing above fifth will be more than a miracle. Infact, it will be a travesty of the hardwork that other teams are putting in, which Sofapaka blatantly didn't put against Tusker. The two penalties they missed just bespoke the disquiet in Sofapaka camp. That the legendary and evergreen John Barasa would be the man to fire the blank in one of the spot kicks killed all hopes and Ezekiel Odera came and buried them by missing the second.

For some time now, the tides have buffetted Sofapaka seriously and never had it been more in-your-face than over the weekend when Tusker made light work of their (Sofapaka's) status and bookmarks in history. Simply put, Sofapaka were outfoxed, outfought and outdone. They were taken in rounds then left inebriated, left on their own to stagger and stumble home in total darkness, with only their hope for a better future illuminating the way.

This loss put their total losses this season, after 19 games, to four, one short of the total losses last season (after 30 games). This season, they have let in 24 goals, three less than the total last season. Last season they scored 49 goals. This season, with 11games to spare the have 24, and their psyche, or total lack of, shows that unless attitude changes in the Batoto Ba Mungu camp, even hitting 40 goals will be more a result of fate clumsily stumbling about than of the team's and their coach's deliberate effort. Every good record from last season risks being left seated upon its anus come the end of the season.

Coach, Sam Timbe, a reputable coach in the region, must have been so ashamed of the defeat that he couldn't resist the urge to resort to folly excuses and pseudo-reasons. 
Losing players should never be a reason.  Gor Mahia, so far unbeaten this season, lost their top scorer for two years running, Dan Sserunkuma yet still score plenty and win plenty as if its their middle name.  Its hard being a professional sportsperson, I get it, but the weekends no-show from Sofapaka was discouraging.

Sofapaka is a storied team whose legacy shouldn't die.
They should carry on with their scabbed wounds and march with them forward until the storm subsides. Losing 5-0 is disappointing but losing 5-0 following such a dispirited and detached effort could portend tougher storms for Sofapaka to weather in coming weeks, months and, God forbid, seasons. So they should take it in their strides and march forward while showing some resilience.
 
Photo:courtesy Standard

SALUTE TO FALLEN HEROES

To my fallen uncle...

An uncle but forever a grandfather,
And in forever you have been thus,
In you we found the old man we were privileged not to have.
While the time spent together might be scant,
The impact was lasting, hitting harder than a storm buffetting the wall of a lone house,
Memories not to be erased by the passage of time.

Even after death snuck up on you like a thief in the night,
Remember that we are here to keep and cherish,
The good the bad and in between memories we shared,
The history and legacy we wrote without our knowledge.

From the tasty mandazis at Christmas dawn,
To the delicious drumsticks on New Year's eve,
From the loud but comically relieving inebriated rants,
To the long unexpected wave goodbye,
We love you.

In the life you live hereafter,
May the peace you cherished be found wherever you are, just as you lived.

Until we meet again,Uncle Ambuzi,rest in peace.

MAY GOD SEE YOU IN THE AFTERLIFE SAFE AND SOUND

Words are barely enough to quantify
The magitude of sorrow inflicted by the fallen lights of a glittering life.

We knew no better comedy than you Mr Ojwang'
And we knew not of our happy times until you left our screens.

For our shortcomings and negligence, please forgive us.
Pardon the shortfall of our amnesiac memories but please take this epitaph as a deep appreciation of your incomparable humour and longevity.

Where you have set foot,
Whatever trail you have blazed,
The glitter that you have left flickering behind you,
Will forever be etched in the fond folds of our memories.

From now henceforth,twelfth of July will forever hold a reminder to us and posterity,
A reminder that in a country marred by juvenile political atmosphere and a morass of corruption,there once walked a man of integrity.

A great man to whom humour was a calling,acting a definition of.

A day that will forever remind us of when you went, hereafter, to explore the unknown lands of the afterlife.

To a father
To a husband
To a breadwinner
A provider
To a brother
A friend
To a patriot
A leader
To a legend
An Icon
To an actor
A humourist
To a national phenomenon
A collosus

Until we meet again, Mzee Benson Wanjau, rest in peace.

 1937-2015
(78 years old)

A LETTER TO MY DEAR GOVERNMENT

DEAR GOVERNMENT,

It hasn't escaped my attention that a lot of make-up work is going on on our roads (a good thing),neither has it escaped my attention that said make-up takes place in the rush hour of the morning (a very bad thing). And, to add to my list of 'not-escaping-attention stuff', is the fact that these repair works are coinciding with the hyped second coming of Big bro Barry(honestly, I don't know what to make of that).

Now, dear government, there is nothing as refreshing and relieving as seeing that huge crater that once swallowed a Vitz getting kicked on its deep ball by some good repair work. However, I pose - does it have to be in the morning?  I believe most road construction take place in the night, or, you know at a less busy time of day (so basically night). Sure I know you want us to see the good job being done, but guess what? We don't want to see it being done. We just want to be like,"Hey the roads are less jumpy today. I wonder whats wrong with my car?" Then you look out and see the potholes have been replaced by an ugly but effective patch. Trust me, Dear Government, we will give you, and not any silly aliens from pluto, the credits.

Also, do these repair works need to coincide with the coming of His Excellency Barrack Obama?(if I'm wrong on the title please pardon me. I can only be Kenyan). Now, I'm not making any connections(so incase you make any please, remind yourselves its just a bad dream), but did it have to happen now, when he is actually coming?  Does this mean that our roads will go for, oh crap, ages before getting a facelift since we don't know when the next U.S president will come by to say hi. Couldn't this have come at a better time, you know, at a time when the only guests we are expecting are our new born babies?

The traffic caused by these repair works is -*sigh*-draining. There is nothing as ugly as tail lights bumper to bumper and trust me, some cars have really ugly-ass tail lights. No really, and I won't even mention Toyota Platz - oh god, I did mention Toyota Platz didn't I? Anyway, seeing traffic jam start right outside my gate is akeen to coming before going in - it totally kills your psyche man. And don't get me started on overlapping PSV's. Someone needs to take a slipper and spank the drivers of these vehicles to shape. Either that or, you know, have them committed into mental institutions because these people are -forgive my language- fucking insane !

Speaking of PSV's - these matatus man - smh- those things are damn too rickety and uncomfortable. Its like rolling on your backside on a  cardboard, only paying for the mabati and the chance to gasp in horror each time the driver narrowly misses another car or the odd pedestrian, who is not on the right anyway. By the way, speaking of PSV's, have you seen the new Climax Coach? Man, that thing's quite a looker. Travels from here to Kitale. Its dope I tell you.

Anyway, I hope this reaches you on time, my Dear Government before I change my mind and start congragulating you.

Dearly from,
Distressed citizen,
Chizi Freshi

THE MONSTER OF MY DREAM

See, this is what happened-
When we met,
At the site, me doing my daily drudgery,
You making meals at the eatery,
Yes, I thought you were the girl of my dreams,
Infact I did tell you that,
And the blush of your cheeks is quite vivid still.
Now, its not that I lied,
I just spoke the truth at that instant
But today, girl, I have a confession:
Last night, I had a dream-
I rarely dream you see, so yes,
When I told you you were the girl of my dreams,
I wasn't being honest.
I didn't lie,
But it wasn't true much.
It was strange that dreams can be so contradictory.
Let me let you go, my beautiful,
Let me spare you my troubles, my pretty.
I thought you were the girl of my dreams,
But in my dream, was me and a monster,
And you, my dear are not a monster.

GOR,UNDER FRANK NUTTALL,SET TO RAISE STANDARDS OF KENYAN FOOTBALL

    Gor, leading the league by a clean 12 points, are in pole position to underline their status as Kenya's most eminent football club but its the fairy tale manner in which it is shaping up that provokes  thought.

Slightly over a decade ago, it would have been ignorant, unwise if not even criminal to think that Gor Mahia, one of two Kenyan footballing gems(the other being arch-rivals AFC Leopards) would even come close to recalling past glories. It was a period when Kenyan football had ebbed to its lowest tide, embroiled in the murks of its chronic wrangles. With Gor Mahia and AFC staring down an abyss, so did the adornments that garnished Kenyan football. The sport was barging through the rains and the storm threatened to discredit the achievements of the two collosal teams. For Gor Mahia, their Africa conquering memories of 1987 then seemed like bad reminders of how deep they had sank and how high they couldn't reach and how far off the pedestal they were. Of course the fall was hard and unforgiving, scathing and scarring.

Yet ten years on, with Kenyan football offering a front of stability, Gor are on the verge of another milestone- clinching a third successive KPL crown and become Kenya's most embelished club with 15 titles. And not just that, but they appear on course at the back of an unbeaten run. This one seems pre-ordained, destined and bound.

Going into a mid season break, Gor Mahia, after 15 games, are top on 39 points with 30 goals scored, only six conceded and no loss to their name. On its own, the statistic bears no significance. But compare this: their winning campaign last season after 30 outings, yieded 43 goals , 60 points and five losses. By this season's standards, that's pedestrian isn't it?

In their current form, K'ogalo could finish with well over 70 points and over 60 goals scored, laying to waste and laughing in the face of recent records. No loss would then add glamour to the show. In their current form, they could wrap up the league early enough, something that's an anomaly in a league with the propensity of going down to the wire. Yet another milestone.

They have been outstanding, brilliant and epic. They have been ridiculously and outrageously good, yet, no poetic wax can do justice to Gor's imperious impetus. Their 5-0 whitewash of Nakuru All Stars was a full display of their devastating fluidity in attack (Meddie Kagere's goal, anyone?) while the 0-0 draw with Sofapaka and the 1-0 flooring of Tusker showed their flexibility to switch from flair to grit to get things done.

Coach Nuttall has made the difference. He could be what Kenyan football and not just Gor Mahia, need. His tactical nous is on song mostly and he has brought much cohesion to this Gor outfit that others simply can't match. A holder of UEFA 'A' licence and UEFA Pro licence in coaching (eligible to coach teams in Europe), Frank Nuttall is probably a man overqualified for this job. But his high standard could lead to better professionalism among our coaches as coaching, not lack of talent, is what makes continental glory elusive.

With talent and a good coach, Gor look set to lead a departure from precedent mediocrity. Unless the chasing pack raise their game, playing catch up with Gor will be like trying to play catch-me-if-you-can with a cheetah. While their mettle has yet to face the toughest and most labourious of tasks - the continental hurdle - the grounds on which their current form is founded is firm enough to sway even the stalwart skeptics.

A well trained coach in Nuttall, massive talents in Michael Olunga, Meddie Kagere, Ali Abondo, Collins Okoth among others, this is a team set to define an era, recall and better Gor's storied past and usher in a new, better dawn for Kenyan football. Marry in money to all the quality they have and scaling the apparent insurmountable heights of continental championship could be done. Already a class above the rest in KPL, its up to the others to catch up and do better. See, the bar is raised. But then such far fetched reality will only be achieved if the club can hold onto the coach and their best players. That's where the fluke of Kenyan football is - Instability.

  

photo: courtesy

A DAY'S BREAK

I saw,
The dew of the morning kiss the cold feet,
I felt,
The cold of the night wear down to the sun's streams,
And in the dip of the horizon in the far east,
The half dome of the unfurling rods of sunrise became.

I saw,
Dancing in the day, the yellow of the sunflower,
and the spread of the red poppy.
I heard,
The croaking of the warted grey frog of the ponds,
And the whirling of the elfin dragon fly over still waters.

I saw,
The spines of the cypress and the pines,
Bend to their full stretch to the winds,
All heralding a promising day,
I heard their ominous creaks and rustle and their sinister whisper,
I felt the winds touch upon my dry cheeks.
I saw,
The fall of the fat orange leaves of the 
Msunzu,
And the drop of the cold crystalline dew from the jagged blade of a grass,
Better days have been than this.

I saw,
The scattering of the heavy grey clouds,
Revelation of a vacant blue skies,
Birds exuberance,vibrance after a downpour,
In the bars of a sun peeking from the dents in the swollen clouds,
A new dawn beckons,
I better respond before its noon.

Glints of iron sheets anew,
The old layered in red rustiness,
All punctuate and interrupt,
The sprawl and flow and tumble,
And fall of the verdant and luxuriant,
The green of the orchid and idyllic countryside,
Smooth sail of the butterfly,
To the revealed petals of the morning glory,
Unveiling the jubilance of a fresh start.

I feel,
Serenity of the shades ambiance,
Beauty of the rolling green of tree and grass,
Sun scorching and livid,
Fly buzzing and bothering,
Soothing hum of the quiet river's flow,
As day continues to grow.

I see,
In the distant panorama, beautiful shaded blue hills,
The crashing of the furious waterfall on the boulders  in the faraway west,
As the rays of the sinking sun burst the sky to rosy red.

I feel,
The calming warmth of the weak sun,
Of the approaching dreams of the dark's domain,
As night makes light of and grows over day.
I awoke, I saw,
I felt, I heard,
I did, I didn't
All in a day's break.

From 
The
Writing
Of
The
Collosus:
A
Poem
Anthology

Kiraka  D Mugatsia
2015