![\"\"](\"http:\/\/gormahia.net\/images\/jogoo.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThat Kenya players have poor ball skills is readily apparent. The fact that the leading scorer in the premier league scores a paltry 14 goals is proof positive that Kenya strikers and playmakers are sub par. When French coach Bernard Lama arrived a few years back, he exclaimed at the poor technical skills of Kenyan players. And none other than Kenyan legend Mike Okoth Origi recently noted that virtually no KPL player was good enough to play in a major European league due to poor ball skills.<\/p>\n
The importance of youth development cannot be given a short shrift. Barcelona has recently shown the world what a world class youth development system can do for the club and indeed the country. Watching the Barca players confidently pass the ball around at close quarters and routinely shred defences with defence splitting passes then finish with aplomb makes one quickly realize that their players are well drilled, tactically astute and highly technical. This does not happen by accident but by having an effective youth development scheme that scouts the best players at various ages and exposes them to age appropriate coaching.<\/p>\n
Indeed Europeans embraced youth development as far back as the 1950s. Yet to this day, hardly any Kenyan team has done so. In 1975, Italian Peter Pampuro coached Gor Mahia briefly. He established what was probably the first youth development scheme in Kenya. Eric Omwango was assigned as youth coach. The scheme was short lived and evaporated when Pampuro left. Eight years later, Len Julians arrived and he too attempted to start a youth scheme which lasted less than a year due to lack of funds. Still Julians made it a point to recruit young players with potential and turn them into classy players.<\/p>\n
In 1980, German Bernard Zgoll established the Olympic youth development centers all over the country. Youth were recruited and trained under Zgoll. These centers unearthed and cultured players like Sammy Onyango “Jogoo”, Wilberforce Mulamba and Sammy Taabu. Sammy Onyango was perhaps the most compete player ever to don the Kogalo jersey. He was equally adept at shooting and crossing with either foot. His crosses had a Beckham like accuracy. Legendary AFC Leopards defender, Josephat Murila in an interview recently admitted that Jogoo was the player they feared most because he could score from anywhere including seemingly impossible angles. It is clear that Jogoo benefited heavily from Zgoll’s tutelage when he was in his mid teens.<\/p>\n
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Today Kogalo like other teams in the KPL make do with talented but low calibre players. Nobody doubts the talents of players like Lavatsa, Kevin Omondi or Musa Mohammed. But their rawness of their talents is often exposed in their inability to consistently find the back of the net when presented with a chance or their lack of tactical awareness, poor positioning or their inability to effectively use their weaker foot. Kenyan players usually learn to play mostly in the streets where they learn bad field habits.<\/p>\n
Today, each KPL team is required to field a U-19 team that plays in a brief tournament. But having a youth team hardly amounts to youth development. None of those players are receiving the tutelage that will turn them into classy players at senior level. Perhaps the only local team with a decent youth system is Thika United. They even have a scholarship system for talented players that is funded by Brookside dairies.<\/p>\n
Brookside which is the parent company of Tuzo, expressed interest in establishing a similar scheme for Gor Mahia. Ideally this would involve hiring a qualified youth coach. Preferably one who has received a certification from the Netherlands. Establish a partnership with a local secondary school recruiting talented players aged 14 or 15, and offer the players scholarships to attend the school where the coach can train them and monitor their progress on a daily basis until they reach 19 upon which those who are good enough can be promoted to the senior team or sent on loan with other teams. Eventually the youth scheme would grow to incorporate under 13 players.<\/p>\n
It is true that Kogalo often signs young players. But sometimes, promoting a young player to senior level too quickly can destroy the players confidence. This year Roy Okal, a 16 year old from Homa Bay joined the team and has not had any impact, Worse still his development is being stifled as he rots on the bench instead of playing. A similar scenario happened to Maurice Odhiambo who joined Kogalo when only 15. So promising was he that he event went to Europe for 6 months. Yet He now plays in the nationwide league. Okal and other teens should be playing under the tutelage of a youth coach who can teach him the critical fundamentals such as the ability to effectively use both feet. At that age, the focus should be on grasping fundamentals, getting rid of bad habits and working on technical skills. The pressure of having to win a league game should not be the over-riding factor.<\/p>\n
A solid youth development scheme will produce the high calibre players needed to win games consistently and compete with the best in Africa. A good scheme will also generate revenue because players will routinely be sold to European clubs. It is likely that Ted Akumu would have passed his Denmark trials with flying colours had he developed the proper skills. George Odhiambo “Blackberry” has not had much success in Europe either and can mostly be found on the bench. One can only guess that factors such as lack of tactical awareness are impeding his chances. Meanwhile Asec Mimosas in Cote’d Ivoire has a superb youth scheme whose products have found success at the highest levels of football. Players like Didier Zokora, Yaya Toure, Dindane, Kolo Toure, Gervinho, Eboue, Salomon Kalou and many others.<\/p>\n