Kenyan football clubs would do well to borrow a leaf from Nairobi City Stars in terms of professional management. The Jonathan Jackson Foundation-owned club have distinguished themselves as a team where everything occurs according to plan and not on the spur of the moment.
When it comes to Kenya, professionalism and local football clubs are like oil and water, they never mix. Instead, the storyline is often the same for many clubs: delayed player salaries, indiscipline, lack of playing resources and poor contract negotiations.
This is not the case for Simba wa Nairobi who, thanks to real estate magnate Jonathan Jackson, have risen from the ashes to establish themselves as one of the teams in the top-tier, Kenya Premier League.
One aspect of their professionalism that stands out is the community work carried out in Kawangware, from where the team first emerged. Jackson seems to have huge dreams for young talents in the area as was evidenced when his foundation unveiled a second basketball court in Riruta HGM Primary School last month.
Under the Bakee Mtaani initiative, Jackson plans to build 20 basketball courts across the area to provide youth with a safe space to explore their talents and soar higher.
This is an efficient strategy, which from City Stars’ perspective, helps grow their brand and increase the fan base by endearing themselves to Kawangware residents.
Within the playing units are non-negotiables that players are expected to adhere to on and off the pitch. In the past, one of the issues cited as a danger to footballers’ careers has been a wild lifestyle, which is characterised by booze, women and partying.
In City Stars’ case, players are barred from playing local, estate tournaments, where they risk injuries and a long spell on the sidelines. Any player seen participating in such unsanctioned competitions risks a pay cut.
Additionally, the playing and technical unit have been handsomely remunerated and provided with medical insurance coverage, a rarity in local football.
In Kenya, you are more likely to hear stories of footballers grappling with injuries and struggling to eke out a living. In extreme cases, some of the affected players are deserted by their clubs and their contracts prematurely terminated.
Admittedly, I am a fan of underdogs, teams that go against the odds and rise to glory. City Stars is an example of such a club.
Originally known as World Hope, the team fell back on hard times in past years before they were acquired by JJF.
As a community club, it is encouraging to see them avoid the well-trodden path of unprofessionalism, which characterises many of their peers’ affairs.
I can only wish them well and look forward to the days when they will rival Gor Mahia as the giants of Kenyan football in terms of fan base and trophies.
PHOTO COURTESY
