By Fredrick Nadulli aka Razor,

The 2014 season is gone.It lived up to it’s billing as a championship to remember.Apart from the rancorous sideshows that watered down the competition,the quality of play on display was rather encouraging.

And while at it,the league continues to attract players and coaches alike,from the diaspora,all itching to be part of the Kenyan bonanza.The 2015 transfer window is officially open,and for the next eight weeks the market will be flooded with activity,clubs keen to bolster their squads in readiness for next season.
It is at times like this that good decisions are made or serious blunders commited,all in the name of switching clubs.

CASE STUDY

Footballers move for various reasons.Chief among those are future career prospects,lure of the cash,and unique to Kenya,players decamping under pressure to play for ‘their community clubs’.While some transfers have turned out to be pieces of master-stroke,a good number have gone horribly wrong,much to the chagrin and regret of the parties involved.The third case is like playing Russian roulette.

Defender Eric Masika is a good case study.When he played for Gor Mahia,he was such a fine player he earned,deservedly so,a coveted call to the national team.He earned rave reviews and was widely touted as a future long term prospect for Kenya.Until he was (mis)advised to jump ship and sign for AFC Leopards,his community club.By the time of going to press,the player had been released by the club,seemingly deemed a spent force.

As if following a blind leader,rookie midfielder Timonah Wanyonyi went the same route.Well settled at Gor,an integral player for the junior national side and the future looking nothing but bright,the young maestro succumbed to family pressure to ditch his club and move to Leopards,his community club.

Need I say the outcome?He was given enough rope to hang himself.
Daniel Onyango left Western Stima for Gor in a move that turned out to be a flop.While he may have thought that going to Gor was an upward trend,it later dawned on him that he was surplus to requirements,whereas at Stima he was a key pillar.

Some have found the lure of the shilling too hard to resist,thereby putting their fledgling careers in serious jeopardy.When Jacob Keli was too hot to handle,KCB let him move to AFC in a transfer that reportedly involved a tidy sum.

If yesterday’s success is echoed from one corner of this country to another,so too is today’ s failure.The striker has been a pale shadow of his former self,a total contrast of the speedy forward who ran defenders rugged at KCB.Keen observers cannot help reading short monetary gain at the expense of career growth.

Perhaps the pressure at Leopards overwhelmed him,as opposed to his near-cult status with the Bankers.Joseph Shikokoti commited the same suicidal blunder.
These are only but a few examples.

Nevertheless,not all transfer cases went awry.Players like Clifford Alwanga,Brian Osumba,Andrew Tololwa et al made moves to bigger clubs that bettered their game and bank balances.Others like Mohammed Hassan joined institutions like the military thereby securing employment.

THINK ON YOUR FEET

As transfer activity gathers momentum,players would be best advised to tread carefully.There is a very thin line between success and failure.It would be prudent if they set for themselves short and long term career goals and how to navigate their way through the murky waters.Monetary gain is fine,but how good if it comes at the expense of a better,more secure future?

For those being arm-twisted to go back to their community clubs,break free and run fast.Modern day football is a global village that breaks all barriers.Morever,no evidence suggests that playing out all your career in a single club is wrong.

On the contrary,a good number has succeeded on this front.
Kenyan players,think on your feet before taking the big plunge.Leave only if you must.The above case studies should serve as a pointer on your future decisions.

Collins Okinyo

Ex- CAF Media Expert. An expert on African football with over 15 years experience ,always with an ear to the ground with indepth knowledge of the game. I have worked for top publications including 7 years at www.supersport.com until i founded www.soka25east.com to quench the thirst of football lovers across the continent. I have trained young upcoming journalists who are now a voice in African football.I have covered World Cup,AFCON,CHAN,Champions League,Confederations Cup,Cecafa,Cosafa,Wafu and many other football tournaments across the World. Founder Football Africa Arena(FAA),Founder www.afrisportdigital.com