Musa, Marcelo and Tuyisenge in team of the season
Three Gor Mahia players, Musa Mohamed, Eric Ouma and Jacque Tuyisenge have been named to the 2016 KPL team of the season for 2016 as named by the Standard
Goalkeeper: David Okello (Tusker)
Okello is largely responsible for helping the brewers win the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) title in the just concluded season.
At the beginning of the season, Tusker coach Paul Nkata preferred to rotate goalkeepers and it was not clear who he preferred something that seems to have cost the brewers a lot in terms of consistency.
But when Okello took a permanent position between the posts, the brewers hardly conceded goals with the veteran goalkeeper making some outstanding saves. The most memorable was saving a penalty against Sony Sugar at Awendo three weeks ago in a match Tusker won 1-0 and all but confirmed their title credentials.
Noah Abich (Sofapaka)
He joined Sofapaka in the second leg of the league but still put in an impressive performance to ensure the 2009 KPL champions survived against relegation.
The former Mathare United defender was simply outstanding at the back but he was most crucial whenever Sofapaka got a penalty or free kicks which he easily converted.
His most memorable performance was during a 3-2 win against AFC Leopards on October 28 at Machakos Stadium when he assisted in all three goals.
It is a performance that rightfully earned him the October player of the month award from the Association of Sports Journalists of Kenya (ASJAK).
Eric ‘Marcelo’ Ouma (Gor Mahia)
That a 20 year old prodigy warmed his way into the starting line-up of Gor Mahia will remain one of the stories of this season.
Previously unknown Ouma burst into the limelight at the beginning of this season with his impressive ability to bring in crosses from flanks that left everyone awestruck.
His ability to assist the team’s striking force resulted in some crucial goals. He was able to also defend well especially against more experienced strikers and easily displaced Abouba Sibomana at the Gor Mahia backline in a performance that earned him a permanent slot in the national team Harambee Stars.
Musa Mohammed (Gor Mahia)
Consistent and dependable. He is the reason Gor Mahia conceded the least number of goals the whole season when they let in just 14 goals.
Mohammed started in most of the matches Gor Mahia played in this season showing an impressive ability to avoid injuries and was even the field captain of the former KPL champions. In total Mohammed has played more than 250 matches for Gor Mahia since he joined the club six years ago. In that period Gor Mahia has had atleast three coaches all of him have found him indispensable for his ability to defend well.
George ‘Wise’ Owino (Mathare United)
Like wine which gets better with age, Owino has not shown signs of slowing down. His best year was no doubt in 2008 when he had a permanent placed in the national team Harambee Stars. After that, injury put him out for a long time only to re-emerge at the beginning of this season and re-unite with Mathare United coach Francis Kimanzi who seems to know how to get the best out of him.
Owino started in all the 30 matches United played in last season and was cautioned only twice. His big frame at the back was always intimidating to United’s opponents.
Whyvonne Issuza (Mathare United)
He scored an impressive eight goals to emerge the top scorer for Mathare United in the just concluded season. He also had several assists to help his side have a strong finish.
When dependable midfielder Eric Johanna temporarily left Mathare United to attend trials in Sweden three months ago, the task to marshall the midfield was left to Isuzza and he did a good job of it scoring and providing assists for crucial goals. He has done everything to take over from Johanna as midfielder of the year.
Kenneth Muguna (Western Stima)
He was the youngest recipient of the Association of Sports Journalists of Kenya (ASJAK) monthly award for August and it was not for nothing.
He is one of the reasons Stima finished in sixth place with 44 points and were even at some point in the season considered contenders for the title.
His artistry in midfield was second to none and his crucial goals like when he scored in August to enable Stima beat Mathare United 1-0 to always kept Stima’s title chances alive.
Overall, he made some crucial contributions for the power men and it was therefore not a surprise for him to be called up to the national team.
Humphrey Mieno (Tusker)
When Mieno wanted to force his way out of Ruaraka in June, the brewers stood firm and for a good reason. The fact that he wanted to join Gor Mahia made it even more difficult for the brewers to let him considering that both teams were fighting for the title.
Mieno gave a good account of himself in the Tusker midfield with crucial assists that left many fans wondering why he has always been overlooked by the national team selectors.
He is clearly one of the reasons Tusker won the league with a consistent performance in the middle of the pack.
John Makwatta (Ulinzi Stars)
He emerged the league’s top score after netting 15 goals and becomes just the second Ulinzi Stars player to do so after Steven Waruru.
In total Ulinzi Stars scored 35 goals which means that Makwatta’s goals were important in helping the soldiers finish in third position.
The soldiers also finished runners-up in the GOtv shield and even here Makwatta played a crucial role in helping them to do so. The team alongside Tusker will represent the country in next year’s Confederations Cup.
Allan Wanga (Tusker)
Tusker were struggling to score goals before Allan Wanga’s arrival changed all that in the second leg of the KPL.
Wanga returned to Ruaraka with a bang. The last time he was there was in 2007 when he won the KPL title with Tusker and also emerged the top scorer.
His second return saw him help the brewers not only win the KPL title but also the GOtv shield. His goal in the GOtv final made all the difference. He also scored in the season ender against Gor Mahia to cap a memorable season not only for the club but for himself as well which ended with a call-up to the national team Harambee Stars.
Jacques Tuyisenge (Gor Mahia)
He will be disappointed that Gor Mahia did not win a fourth consecutive title for that is why the former KPL champions splashed Sh4million to buy him.
He will also be disappointed that his ten goals will not give him the golden boot as he finishes fourth on the top scorer’s list behind Makwatta, Wycliff Ochomo and Kepha Aswani but will take consolation in emerging his club’s leading scorer in the first season.
Tuyisenge looks to have been let down by inconsistency but his performance when he was at the top was outstanding. He brought many tears of joy to Gor Mahia fans with some of his goals. His best is yet to come though.
Ze Maria blames lack of motivation
Kogallo’s Brazilian tactician Ze Maria has blamed a lack of motivation for his team below par performance in the last match against Tusker
“My players came into the match with no motivation at all considering the fact that Tusker had already won the league. But we did well, we could have won this match but we did not take our chances.” he said to goal.com
Some would say that an inspirational coach would have been able to motivate his players to play with pride and end the season on a high note. An astute coach would have found
Ze Maria believes he can build on his performance to achieve a better performance in 2017.
“However, it is a plus to us, I came when we were down in the 13th position but we have done our best and finished second. I believe we have a good squad to do better next season.”
Surely coach, how can this be a plus after a going unbeaten last season with two trophies and none this yr under ua supervision.what of this position 13,the league had barely started,I think the team had played less than 8 matches.Am a worried fan what you said at camp toyoyo after winning manager of the month is totally different, after defeat with understrength tusker ua team lacked motivation?
This Ze Maria coach is a real coaching puzzle !, for the 36 games with the club since his appointment he has won 25, drawn 8 and lost 3.
This is a success rate of close to 85% , much higher than BW 2013/14 , FN 2014/15and Loga 2012/13 yet he has not won a single trophy for the club.
Is he a good coach? He just need to be reminded that football is about trophies NOT tiki taka and therefore giving him one more year with the club is a genuine call.
@Jakoyo, Your mathematical comment has just reminded me of the crucial points that Gor was deducted. As you have pointed out that the success rate of 85% is not a mean achievement. Secondly, I would also add that after exemplary performances in the last three seasons, all other teams were going to work extra hard and I think every team was working with Gor as THE WORTHY OPPONENT to beat. Without eluding to board room decisions, the pressure was always going to be a factor to the Team and this sometimes would have its own negative effects. To me therefore you have rightly brought out the tightness of the race at the top. Something about history is that today is never the same as yesterday. Everyday has an opportunity to make its own history. Gor fraternity must therefore always appreciate their historical yesteryear and use it as a launching pad for the season following. As a winning Team we would have loved to finish as the champs but we have another opportunity next time.
What was the criteria for awarding goalkeeper of the season? Is it goals conceded or clean sheets? On both counts Bonnie beats Okello, so how did Okello get it ahead of Bonnie?
@musymo, you are spot on, how Okello beat Bonnie to that baffles me.
@musymo..that article in the standard was written by Gilbert Wandera,who in my opinion is not a journalist of note.I also didnt expect that article to be copied and pasted on this site coz it lacks merit.
That list is missing players who deserved to be there and likewise some of the mentioned players there do not deserve to be on that list.Like you have mentioned…what criteria was used to pick Okello as the best keeper?am not saying Bonnie was the best,am just questioning the choice of Okello and please let me not be told that its because he was the goalie for Tusker who won the league!!
@Musyo and Oswozo, the writer is spot on in every perspective.
Goals conceded is a factor of both goalkeeping , defence and overall team play not just the keeper.
The test of a good goalkeeper is the number of crucial saves made within the season which made the season for the overall winners. Truth be told, okello made more crucial saves than any keeper in 2016 hence his individual accolade.
Bonny was more of a pedestrian in most league matches and was hardly tested to the fullest therefore his contribution to the title campaign was dwarfed by the good defenders i.e Musa mohammed and Marcelo being picked in defence for Kogallo as the least goals conceded in the season was more of a solid defence play as opposed to good goalkeeping and overall team play.
Hope it is clear.
@jakoyo, how many ‘CRUCIAL’ saves did Okello make as compared to Bonnie? Kindly bring up that statistic please and inform us who decides which saves are crucial and which ones are pedestrian!! Without that your post remains your own opinion not backed by fact. Most keepers the world over are judged by the clean sheets they keep in a season and not crucial saves. If anything any save a keeper makes is crucial as it makes all the difference!!!!
@jakoyo…no it is not clear.reread my article.my take is not only with okello but several other positions.Everyone has his or her team of the season,this one is for Gilbert Wandera and you….what do others think?
Guys, that is just the writers opinion. The Best keeper as per KPL stats considers not how many saves but the number of clean sheets. Otherwise you might find Andika or Shikalo made more daring saves than Bonnie or Okello.
On coaching it’s quite funny that you can win more matches but end up being considered a failure. All this depends on the parameters one looks at. For some the ratio of wins to loses determines a good coach, for some it’s trophies. Assuming we won Top8 and GoTV which are merely 10 matches altogether and if some of those matches we won on penalty and not straight away, is it better that winning 15 matches, drawing 12 and losing three. Mind you Tusker won 17. I think consistency is what makes a good coach, trophies can be won or lost due to many other factors e.g. docking of points
@oswozo, my team of the season(based on personal preference and not backed by statistics in most cases)
Bonnie, Atudo,Musa,Kamura,Batambuze, Hamisi Abdalla(Muho), Kahata, Mieno,Eric Johanna, Makwatta and Aswani
How does over 60 points amassed last year be less wins to 54 we got this year
Thank you God for Silencing the holier than thou bloggers who had the fans as their last resort for apportioning blames. Now they have nowhere to run to. So it is not the “goons” that cost Kogalo the tittle but the poor display.
@musymo…thanks.in my understanding,for one to make it to the 1st eleven of the season there must have been consistency backed by good performance for most of the season and also attitude.Making one or two saves in a game or scoring 5 goals in one game or dodging 11 players at one go does not necessarily mean you make it to the 1st eleven….that is what Gilbert Wandera and Jakoyo are trying to push down our throats!!!
At premier league level and above i.e national team being a successful coach is determined by the number of titles you guide your team to win. Locally trophies are rated 1) League 2) GoTv 3) Top 8. Note Nkata won 1 & 2 so he is successful in 2016 period. Any other parameter(s) are for rating youth/academy and maybe “mtaa” coaches.Finally what effect does the delay in payment of a winning bonus have no the next game, does it not negate the urgency/importance of a win. And why the delay in processing payments for only max 30 persons when the club has a treasurer and an asst. treasurer. Was it lack of money even with a kes.65m/year sponsorship and gate collections.