Folks I do not think people like accelriskconsult understand the importance of youth development. No wonder he thinks Oliech should have been as good as Messi.

In Europe, players join youth schemes sometimes as early as standard one. There are certain skills that are best learned between 7 and 12. Once you pass age 12 it is almost impossible to learn how to use your weaker foot efficiently.

Also, the tactical awareness is best learned at an early age and as player grows older, they add to what they learned previously. Its like proceeding from one class to the next.

This is the reason almost all players who attend trials in Europe fail. Blackberry thought his dribbling skills would carry him in Denmark. But he was so far behind his team-mates in terms of tactical knowledge that the coach would just leave him on the bench. Blackbery failed in Denmark not because he did not work hard but because he had too much to learn in terms of basic tactical approach and the coach had no patience to teach him basics like 1 + 1 .

Aside from Blackberry, all the offense oriented Kenyans who went to Europe recently did not succeed. Be it Wanga or Kimani or Oboya. Oliech is the only one who made it. Its difficult for a Kenyan striker to survive in Europe.

When Oliech arrived in France, fans commented that he was very fast but his shooting technique was below par (too much wild shooting) and his positioning was also sub par. He has since improved dramatically in those two areas and in other areas. I have seen Oliech score excellent goals with his left foot. This means he has worked on his game despite what some here may claim.

But Oliech had a much bigger hill to climb than the likes of Messi. By the time he was 21 he had to start learning things that Messi learned when he was 12. It is the equivalent of learning a new language when you are 21.

Languages are best learned at a young age. The later you learn a langauge , the less likely you are to be fluent. Football is the same way. Kenyan players only start learning proper fundamentals when they are 20 and by that time they have already picked up bad football habits and lack the muscle memory required to do basic things like crossing with your weaker foot.

Thats why when you see people like accelriskconsult saying Oliech should have been as good as Messi, you just have to laugh loudly. Huyu jamaa hajui mambo ya ball. Hajui chochote.

I have always found it to be quite foolish to expect a poor corrupt 3rd world country to be great at more than 1 sport. Even fairly well to do countries with deep pockets and systems that cushion people who decide to take sports as careers don't get it right in multiple sports. For some random european countries such as spain or portugal whose capital has a GDP larger that that of Kenya don't take shots at everything. Sisi we want everything - never!! sahau.... heard of country called Slovakia? it has 2 times your GDP... unawaona wakipoteza wakati trying everything. People - build the country from the bottom... no country is a sports economy tuwache bangi!

This is a classic straw man argument. I am sure no one on wazua has said Kenya should be good at everything.

We just want sports officials to be competent and transparent to give the youth a chance. I do not expect Kenya to qualify for the world cup. But routinely losing to the likes of Lesotho, Guinea Bissau and Eritrea because of incompetent officials is something Kenya fans should not accept.

We can do better. We used to complain in the 1990s when Kenya sevens was being beaten 52-7 by Tunisia. And as recently as 2001, Uganda sevens would beat Kenya. Finally KRFU got its act together.

If FKF gets its act together we can at least go back to the era of the 1980s when Kenya would beat Zambia, routinely beat Uganda, thrash Tanzania and demolish the likes of Lesotho.

Same in boxing where Kenya were once world beaters.

Right now Kenya boxing cant even win a single Olympic match. Forget medals.

We should at least aim to reach our potential. I would be satisfied if Harambee stars won the CECAFA title once every three years and sometimes qualified for Africa Nations cup and CHAN. And I would be satified if Kenya had a semblance of a youth development program.

It can happen if the fan base holds officials accountable. Removing Nyamweya is a good first step. Kudos to the football fraternity for that. Now let them hold Mwendwa accountable.

Your Professor has spoken