Mobile Site
KENYA
NIGERIA
Harambee Stars coach Henri Michel has already provided a dose of controversy just a few weeks into the job.
Michel is on record as saying that the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup is a useless competition.
According to him, we are better off sending our side to the CHAN qualifiers.
He adds that, we have to take the CHAN route if we need to make an impression continentally, and are to compete with the best sides in World Cup qualification.
Two ways
There are two ways of looking at his above statement.
First is that Michel is well meaning and is showing ambition.
If we will be honest here, the Challenege Cup has never really been a competition to savour, 99 percent of the games are usually boring and the lack of fully filled stadia yawns loudly .
The quality on show has never been top class and our best players are never there.
Furthermore, we play and meet most of the same teams year in, year out, so will we improve as a football playing side? Unlikely.
Arrogant
The other thing is to say that Michel is chewing what he can not swallow.
Like it or not, the Challenge Cup has been there and is a part of our history as a well as on our yearly calendar.
We plan for it annually and always complain if we do not win it.
This year, we have been denied the chance to host the tourney and you have seen how bad it has hurt FKF, to the extent they placed a petition with CAF.
It is an important part of our lives and we need it.
Plan
Michel has a choice to make here. Does he go to CHAN, try his luck at the Challenge Cup or do both.
We could take a development side one way and play the first team the other side.
Will FKF afford the third option? No way.
In Michel, we have a coach who is not here to eat maize and beans; he wants to play and win against quality opposition. He already has a name that he wants to only improve with a good stay in Kenya.
He is used to dining at the high table, so he wants to stay there, not drop a level.
Back him
I will back his CHAN assertion because I beleive that we need to start showing ambition and need to face quality teams if we are to improve our mentality and football.
On the other hand, Michel earns four million bob a month, let him show us what he is made of.
