KCB Bank must up their game to truly match the big boys

KCB Bank must up their game to truly match the big boys

Twiga • 11:00 - 07.07.2023

Another coaching change is not the solution: Look elsewhere for club maladies.

Success starved FKF Premier League side KCB is a sleeping giant. The lion in their logo does not scare even the homeless Gor Mahia who have won multiple titles in the last ten years interchangeably with Tusker, another financial behemoth who unlike KCB have utilized their strength to claim 12 league titles.

To imagine that KCB is the biggest financial institution in the East and Central African region and operatesiIn six countries yet cannot emasculate opponents to dominate football in the country if not CECAFA region leaves more questions than answers.

The bank is said to be dispensing with head coach Zedekiah Otieno on account of non-performance if media reports doing waves are to be believed.

The solution cannot be changing coaches: Frank Ouna and John Kamau were recently there with not much realized still. Zico is an upgrade, experience wise so if success is still elusive then the bank must look elsewhere, not at the coach.

Zico has been at the helm of KCB since Covid-19 struck season of 2019/2020 up to the 2022/2023 calendar and has given a pretty good account of himself bar winning any trophy. He has finished 2nd and 3rd within the period, amassing 62 and 64 points while at it.

He led the team to a 5th place finish in the just concluded season finishing just six points shy of winners Gor Mahia and jointly at par with 3rd placed Police FC and 4th placed Nzoia Sugar. Zico may be deemed a failure but KCB’s detached management cannot be spared blame.

Gor Mahia have their fans cheering them to one title after another, the ever-present Tusker management during the team’s training, games, travels have given the playing unit the push, encouragement and guts to dare.

Even the struggling likes of Sofapaka and Mathare United have their individual owners looming in the stands whenever they are playing. Despite Sofapaka falling on hard times, multi-millionaire owner Elly Kalekwa has a league title and FKF Cup trophies to show.

Robert Munro will fondly remember the 2008 league title even as Mathare United seem to be heading to oblivion. KCB have nothing!

The bank has been bullied in the transfer market by small club. KCB have lost some of their best players to rivals who go on to lift titles. Full back Baraki Badi is among the best in the country. KCB had him, but lost him. Prilofic scorer Derrick Otanga slipped out of their vaults.

David Owino, Reagan Otieno and Sydney Lokale among others have all be prised out of KCB’s grasp leaving Zico and the team to build each year. That KCB players are a constant feature in the national team denotes the top quality the club has had, and lost to rivals.

As many as ten players have graced Harambee Stars from KCB in the last four years. These are talented players recruited from schools or other fringe clubs and nurtured to international levels before rivals pounce.

Where are the finances this club boasts of? Police FC barged into the scene, cherry picked the best players from rivals and stayed in the title race until the 30th of 34 match days. They finished third, jointly on 64 points with KCB purely due to their riches that netted the best. What stops KCB from investing in a decent team? Why can’t the managers show up for the team like other purposeful clubs do?

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