Raila blames Harambee Stars’ defeat on poor preparations
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has called for proper preparations for the national football team before major international assignments.
Speaking in Nairobi on Wednesday evening when he officiated the launch of Gor Mahia’s partnership with Elliots bread, the former premier, who also doubles up as the club’s patron said that international friendlies would greatly help Harambee Stars’ course.
“In my opinion, I don’t think the team played badly against Zambia or that they lacked match fitness. Contrary to what has been written by some reporters, those players were fit and I can tell you so as a former footballer,” Odinga said.
At the same time, he called for the strengthening of AFC Leopards noting that a stronger K’Ogalo and Ingwe would help Harambee Stars grow.
Gor Mahia has been improving in the last three years and are on course to winning a third straight title while Ingwe have been struggling.
On the forthcoming football elections, Raila said that he hoped for better leadership.
POSITIVE CHANGE
“Of course we want change but the change has to be positive. The current leadership has made a good effort,” he said.
Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier asked the club fans to purchase Elliots bread in large numbers to help the club raise money.
Under the one-year renewable partnership with Elliots, Gor Mahia will be entitled to two shillings for every bread sold.
K’Ogalo entered into the partnership after terminating their initial deal with Good Bread Limited due to the latter’s failure to satisfy the market demand.
The move comes in the wake of Gor’s failure to attract a shirt sponsor for the second year running even as the club struggles to pay the players’ and the technical bench’s salaries.
Gor Mahia had a three-year sponsorship deal with Tuzo which expired at the beginning of last season after the milk product’s manufacturers’ Brookside Dairy declined to renew the contract.