The art of reporting football in Kenya is as old as football itself. But if you have been reading the back pages in Kenyan Dailies you must be laughing yourself silly over what our reporters have to say. And they all sound the same, it is like one person wrote a template that everyone else has since adopted and their only work has been to do just a little twitching here and there and, voila! The level of misinformation and bias is also appalling, to say the least.
Take for example an article by Celestine Olilo for the Daily Nation on Sunday May 19th, 2019 entitled "Kipkirui at the Double Sinks AFC Leopards". She starts, "The difference between regular continental tournament attendees and mere domestic league competitors was on clear display on Sunday at the Moi International Sports Center in Kasarani where Gor Mahia beat AFC Leopards 3-1 in their SportPesa Premier League match". Well, the only thing on clear display was Celestine's biased reporting. She reduces Gor Mahia to mere attendees in continental football despite their well documented exploits, and she still has the audacity to make it sound like a compliment. Again, there was no need to bring in the issue of continental football into this. This was a match pitting Kenya's biggest football clubs against each other and continental football had nothing to do with it.
The Arithmetic Contest
Rogers Eshitemi wrote for the Standard, "...with the victory, Gor (he meant Gor Mahia but was too lazy to type the full name) who now have 69 points, just need two points from their remaining three matches to lift their third consecutive title and unprecedented 18th league crown". Clear enough. But Celestine begged to differ. She wrote, " the extra sweetness of the victory was the joyous fact that the Green Army are now just one point away from putting the league title race to bed." Well, they just don't seem to agree on that. It is easy arithmetic. But at least they both acknowledged the fact that Gor Mahai were closing on their record breaking (or setting, if you may) 18th league title.
Tom Osanjo writing in the Daily Nation on Friday 24th May, 2019 calls Gor Mahia's 18th league triumph "unbelievable". We have only one question for him, "What have you been smoking?" Gor Mahia is a football team. Successful football teams win trophies. It is nothing out of the ordinary. Juventus, Celtic and PSG are doing the same every year. It is nothing unbelievable unless you just stepped out of an alien ship from Uranus.
A Dominant Lie
David Kwalimwa seems to know just what makes Gor Mahia so dominant in the league. Writing in the Daily Nation he opines "An elaborately successful scouting network has also aided Gor Mahia’s success with the likes of youngster Nicholas Kipkurui - hero after scoring twice and setting up a third during the 3-1 victory over Leopards during Sunday's Mashemeji derby - Momanyi, Kenneth Muguna, and Ugandan left back Shafique Batambuze among the signings that have impressed this term". He pinpoints elaborate scouting network as the sole reason behind Gor Mahia's dorminance, then goes as far as to mention those player he considers marquee signings. What he doesn't tell you is that over the last couple of years, AFC Leopards, Tusker and Bandari have far much outspent Gor Mahia in the transfer market. AFC Leopards boasts an enviable collection of Kenya internationals in the shape of Whyvonne Issuza, David "Cheche" Ochineng, Paul Were, Jeffrey Owiti and Oburu, to mention but a few.
What else does David Kwalima think makes Gor Mahia dominant? You guessed it, continental football, of course. He says, "Besides Oktay, Gor Mahia has gathered invaluable international experience over the past three seasons which seems to come in handy on the local front". He goes ahead and compiles an elaborate list of teams that Gor Mahai has faced at the continental level this past year. Great work Dave, that must have been some hard work! But Gor Mahia is not the only Kenyan team that plays continental football. Over the past three seasons or so, Bandari, Kariobangi Sharks and even AFC Leopards (Yes, even Leopards) have had that 'valuable experience'. But guess what, it never helped them on the local front. It doesn't help. It is like argueing that Liverpool's remarkable run in the European Champions League helped them in the Premier League! It is counter-intuitive. Far from being of any help, continental football is a huge burden on any team. Evey year Gor Mahia have been eliminated early in the continental competition, they've have done much better in the league.
Take for example an article by Celestine Olilo for the Daily Nation on Sunday May 19th, 2019 entitled "Kipkirui at the Double Sinks AFC Leopards". She starts, "The difference between regular continental tournament attendees and mere domestic league competitors was on clear display on Sunday at the Moi International Sports Center in Kasarani where Gor Mahia beat AFC Leopards 3-1 in their SportPesa Premier League match". Well, the only thing on clear display was Celestine's biased reporting. She reduces Gor Mahia to mere attendees in continental football despite their well documented exploits, and she still has the audacity to make it sound like a compliment. Again, there was no need to bring in the issue of continental football into this. This was a match pitting Kenya's biggest football clubs against each other and continental football had nothing to do with it.
The Arithmetic Contest
Rogers Eshitemi wrote for the Standard, "...with the victory, Gor (he meant Gor Mahia but was too lazy to type the full name) who now have 69 points, just need two points from their remaining three matches to lift their third consecutive title and unprecedented 18th league crown". Clear enough. But Celestine begged to differ. She wrote, " the extra sweetness of the victory was the joyous fact that the Green Army are now just one point away from putting the league title race to bed." Well, they just don't seem to agree on that. It is easy arithmetic. But at least they both acknowledged the fact that Gor Mahai were closing on their record breaking (or setting, if you may) 18th league title.
Tom Osanjo writing in the Daily Nation on Friday 24th May, 2019 calls Gor Mahia's 18th league triumph "unbelievable". We have only one question for him, "What have you been smoking?" Gor Mahia is a football team. Successful football teams win trophies. It is nothing out of the ordinary. Juventus, Celtic and PSG are doing the same every year. It is nothing unbelievable unless you just stepped out of an alien ship from Uranus.
A Dominant Lie
David Kwalimwa seems to know just what makes Gor Mahia so dominant in the league. Writing in the Daily Nation he opines "An elaborately successful scouting network has also aided Gor Mahia’s success with the likes of youngster Nicholas Kipkurui - hero after scoring twice and setting up a third during the 3-1 victory over Leopards during Sunday's Mashemeji derby - Momanyi, Kenneth Muguna, and Ugandan left back Shafique Batambuze among the signings that have impressed this term". He pinpoints elaborate scouting network as the sole reason behind Gor Mahia's dorminance, then goes as far as to mention those player he considers marquee signings. What he doesn't tell you is that over the last couple of years, AFC Leopards, Tusker and Bandari have far much outspent Gor Mahia in the transfer market. AFC Leopards boasts an enviable collection of Kenya internationals in the shape of Whyvonne Issuza, David "Cheche" Ochineng, Paul Were, Jeffrey Owiti and Oburu, to mention but a few.
What else does David Kwalima think makes Gor Mahia dominant? You guessed it, continental football, of course. He says, "Besides Oktay, Gor Mahia has gathered invaluable international experience over the past three seasons which seems to come in handy on the local front". He goes ahead and compiles an elaborate list of teams that Gor Mahai has faced at the continental level this past year. Great work Dave, that must have been some hard work! But Gor Mahia is not the only Kenyan team that plays continental football. Over the past three seasons or so, Bandari, Kariobangi Sharks and even AFC Leopards (Yes, even Leopards) have had that 'valuable experience'. But guess what, it never helped them on the local front. It doesn't help. It is like argueing that Liverpool's remarkable run in the European Champions League helped them in the Premier League! It is counter-intuitive. Far from being of any help, continental football is a huge burden on any team. Evey year Gor Mahia have been eliminated early in the continental competition, they've have done much better in the league.
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