Gor Mahia U19 deserve praise but real measure of success is pending
The Gor Mahia youth team (Under 19) has a 100% record in the Nairobi regional league. They were promoted from the Nairobi county league last year. They maintained that record with solid 3-0 and 4-0 wins over Real Mathare and Victoria Sports respectively in matches that were played within 72 hours of each other. This according to futaa.com Prior to that they hammared FC Barca 3-1.
Against Real Mathare, goals came via Daniel Otieno, Elvis Opiyo and Cornelius Owinyo. Against Victoria Sports, Daniel Otieno opened the floodgates in the 21st minute from the spot, Opiyo doubled the lead three minutes later before Wilson Njuguna ensured they break for half time 3 – 0 up in the 36th minute, before Daniel Otieno wrapped up the score in the 57th minute.
The players deserve praise for their brilliant play and positive results. The side is coached by Maurice Onyango. Fans who have watched them play suggest that they play an exciting brand of attacking football with intelligent runs. Any fan who has an opportunity to watch them should attend a match. Any fan who can support the club financially or via donations should do so.
The Real Test
The primary goal of a youth team is not to win matches. The primary goal of a youth scheme is to develop players who can then make good contributions to the senior team. As such this team and indeed coach Maurice Onyango will be judged based on how many top quality players the system produces.
For example, during the 1990s, the Manchester United youth teams were judged to be highly successful because players like Beckam, Scholes and Neville who played together in the youth teams became major contributors to the Man U teams that won multiple league titles and won the European champions league. Indeed some of what made them great was that the players had played together for very long and thus had an element of cohesion. They instinctively knew how to find each other and make runs that could be exploited by team-mates.
An even more successful youth scheme can be found at Barcelona and has produced players like Messi, Pique, Busquets, Guardiola, Puyol, Iniesta, Thiago Motta, Pepe Reina, Arteta, Fabregas, Giovanni Dos Santos, Samuel Etoo and dozens others. It was largely responsible for Spain winning the world cup in 2010.
Moving closer to home, succesful youth teams are few and far between. The only teams that have a semblance of a youth team are Thika United and to a lesser extent Mathare and Gor Mahia. Thika can pride themselves in having scouted and developed players like Francis Kahata and Peter Opiyo, both of whom were playing for Thika as early as age 15.
Back in the early 1990s, coach Gerry Saurer proved to be a very astute judge of talent. he traveled all over the country scouting for players for the Kenya U20 team. Almost all the players he recruited became excellent contributors to the Kenya national team and to various clubs. He scouted and recruited players like Allan Odhiambo, Tony Lwanga, Peter Mwololo, Tom Odhiambo, Richard Madegwa and many others, all of whom became succesful senior players for club and country.
Thus far Gor Mahia has not been a youth team player who has made significant contributions to the senior team. However there has not been enough time to assess whether the team is successful.
Aside from the players, the people who deserve the most praise are the fans who are responsible for the success of the team, most notably Gor Mahia fans foundation.
Yeah, the senior team has very good players unfortunately who have signed only 1 year contracts each- at the end of the year they will be leaving just as Walusimbi walked out- Can the technical bench promote any good players to the senior team, like the way Oduor makamu was , in the 80’s?
Still a long way but the big challenge to me will be financing.. And to add Etoo was developed at mallorca not barca