FOOTBALL MYTHOLOGY

FOOTBALL MYTHOLOGY

A tale is told of a country in Europe and her state of football. Bulgaria was once a country under authoritarian rule. This extended to football management. There were two clubs controlled by the military and the police.

CSKA Sofia is a club in Bulgaria that was originally in the hands of the military. It used to be the superpower in the realms of football as its owners are in battlefront. On the other hand, Levski Sofia was also in the hands of the police force.

These two clubs dominated everything diadem in the country that between 1947 and 1999 they won a share of 47 trophies between them out of the 52 contested. What a level playing field!

In a country called Kenya, we also have two most notoriously and fanatically supported clubs in the country. Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards suffice here.

Imagine if these clubs were either supported by the police or the army. Gor Mahia by the army as their fans’ nickname goes and Leopards by the police. What would be of other clubs, let alone the rivalry between the two? This would be a recipe for bloodbath -- creating a Spartacus-like scene in matches between the two clubs.

I have always sneered at FIFA for being uptight on government’s neutrality when it comes to matters football. My country’s performance is always synonymous with failure that I often think the government needs to ‘’ingilia kati’’ to restore some pride in the game.

I am wiser now and by listening to the tale of the history of Bulgaria football, in the future I will try to pick any rule ratified by FIFA secretariat with a fine toothpick before rushing into any myopic judgment.

Where would Tusker FC, Sofapaka, Sony Sugar, Mathare United, Ulinzi and the other clubs be if football was to be run like thereof in Kenya?

 I have been a football fan for over a decade but I cannot name any other club other than the Sofia giants from Bulgaria. Save for Ludogorets who caught my attention recently by the ingenuity of their captain and defender Cosmin. He turned into a penalty saving goalkeeper in the hour of need after their goalkeeper was sent off conceding a free kick in the process. With all substitutions done, the defender had to step in. He saved the two spot kicks in this game. Something that has taken Petr Cech more than four hundred games to beat (2012 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE).

I would rather have a league where I know more than 15 clubs and can comfortably name their first elevens than one which I only scantily know of two. Kudos FIFA.