Photo/FILE Harambee Stars midfielder Dennis Oliech dribbles past Guines Bissau Sando Ige during their Africa Cup of Nation Group J qualifiers match on September 04, 2011.
By ODINDO AYIEKO
Posted Friday, March 30 2012 at 20:12
Posted Friday, March 30 2012 at 20:12
Football Kenya Federation has a fine problem in its hands: The two most flamboyant players in its stable are threatening never to play for the national team again.
France-based striker Dennis Oliech and McDonald Mariga, who is based in Spain, each have their own set of grievances against the national football governing body.
But the federation is playing hardball, refusing to back down in the controversy.
While Oliech is demanding compensation for the use of his image on billboards by the national team’s sponsor, East African Breweries Limited, Mariga wants a refund of all the money he used to buy air tickets in his frequent travels to play for the national team.
The federation is willing to negotiate, but with conditions.
It wants Mariga to furnish it with copies of the air tickets he bought, but only if they are economy class. Players of Mariga’s stature prefer travelling first class.
Federation officials will also mediate with Oliech, but only within the statutes of the world football governing body, Fifa. Oliech’s representative is scheduled to meet FKF on Monday.
Winning public sympathy
A locally-based player earning just a few thousand shillings would marvel at the prospect of appearing on a billboard, but not Oliech.
By the time he joined Nantes in the French Ligue 1 in 2005, he had monthly a salary of Sh5.8 million. Mariga nets a cool $1.3 million (Sh104 million) a year, according to soccerlens.
The Sh1.5 million Mariga is demanding would seem too little, but the player maintains he must be paid.
Mariga refused to play the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Togo last month, demanding his refund.
Oliech, too, has in the past refused to play for the national team. The two know their rights, having played in Europe for many years, and they are winning public sympathy.
Former Harambee Stars coach Jacob “Ghost” Mulee feels the buck stops with FKF and the Harambee Stars Management Board.
“The case of Mariga is a simple violation of his rights by the federation. The player used his money and has every right to demand a refund.
“As for Oliech, it’s an issue of negligence and lack of communication by the HSMB and EABL representatives while signing the sponsorship deal.
“What needed to be done was to effectively communicate to the players while signing the sponsorship contract that their images could be used on billboards and advertisements,” he says.
Demands by Oliech and Mariga, according to Mulee, do not mean that they have developed a bloated ego.
“Not at all. These two players are the most humble when it comes to the national team,” says Mulee.
The former coach remembers that when he was in charge of the national team, at one point Oliech bought all the players new pairs of football boots.
“For him to do so shows his level of patriotism,” says Mulee.
Mulee says that while Oliech and Mariga are considered high profile players, they enjoy a very cordial relationship with other players.
But at the Stars’ camp, it’s always easy to notice the difference between the two stars who arrive in their flashy cars and the rest, who use public transport.
Oliech says he does not look down on local players. “I take every player as a brother and I am always there for them.”
Kenya plays the next international in June, and until then, FKF has to convince Oliech and Mariga to change their minds.
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