Top-notch players have always had a special place in the hearts of their fans as they entertain them on the pitch with remarkable performances match after another.
However, to label a player the best from a cluster, say a league or pyramid of leagues, is not an easy task since there is a lot to be considered including individual, club and national team statistics.
A debate has been ongoing in the hockey circles on who is the greatest attacker of the past decade, active or otherwise, where coaches and players alike have been unable to reach a consensus on who to hand this accolade.
The introduction of the three divisions of the Kenya Hockey Union League (Premier, Super and National) has had instantaneous effects with players now able to get playing time and show off their skills.
The Premier League has had potent strikers who have played at both club and national team, including the Butali Warriors quartet of Amos Barkibir, George Mutira, Festus Onyango and Zack Aura, Chris Wokila of Greensharks and Sikh Union’s Davis Wanangwe. Even Wazalendo’s Danston Barasa’s name has popped up.
Aura and Wanangwe are former national team captains who were unplayable at their prime. Aura helped Butali win the title in the 2019 season and is now the sugar millers coach. Mutira has been crowned the top scorer twice with Butali while Onyango was Kenya’s talisman during the Olympic qualifiers last year.
The dynamic nature of the game means a point man upfront is no longer needed due to the man-marking tactics deployed by teams and a striker who can drop deep into midfield to collect the ball and affect play is usually preferred. Flexibility in terms of playing across the face of goal is gaining popularity even among other sports. The qualities cannot go without the inclusion of power and pace.
Willis Okeyo observed that, even though Mutira and Wokila cannot be overlooked, Aura is still the country’s finest. Okeyo is the USIU-A Spartans coach and turns out for Kenya Police. He is considered the most complete midfielder in the country currently.
“Mutira has speed and accuracy while Wokila’s precision and conversion is admirable despite his age. However, Aura virtually has everything. His experience, agility, skill and a lion’s mentality makes him my all-time best. He is always outstanding in every game including at the international front, even against Egypt and South Africa, who are among the continent’s heavyweights,” he said.
Okeyo played with Aura in the national team and remains a senior figure in the side.
The ability to unlock stubborn defences is a characteristic the veteran attacker possesses. He is a ball carrier and knows best how to maintain possession. With his experience, he soaks pressure and uses it to the team’s advantage at the slightest possible opportunity.
Greensharks captain Victor Osiche won’t be biased in picking teammate Wokila because of his consistent statistics in the last four seasons as he hit double figures. Wokila won the top scorer’s award last season and has been a runner-up once. Previously, he won the player of the year in the annual Magharibi Michezo Awards. The 25-year old torments defences at will and rack up numerous assists.
“Singling out Wokila doesn’t mean I am partisan. He’s passionate about the game and his data doesn’t lie at all. He has bailed out the team while on losing positions severally because he is a game-changer.”
Composure and calmness are identified with Wokila, who won more points for Greensharks last season than any player. His timely runs into the ‘D’ and excellent positioning is the reason why he is frequently searched to apply the finishing touch because he can score from any angle. Wokila joined Sharks in 2013. Patience has been key for the quiet player.
Despite being highly-rated, Tunza Sports coaching director Denis Owoka thinks Wokila does not fit in the ‘best-of-the-decade’ category because he has not been consistent.
“Wokila came into the scene late so he can't fit in the category. If we are talking about the last four years then I would pick Wokila, Barasa and Moses Ademba. He has played for a while for Greensharks but he has been on the scene in the last three or four years,” said the Wolverines team manager.
“While looking at a whole 10 years... Aura and Wanangwe deserve a mention but I will go Mutira. He’s been consistent among the top scorers since he joined Strathmore, moved to Simba Union, Chase Bank and finally Butali Warriors.”
“He’s a level headed team leader, very respectful and disciplined. Always eager to learn and pushes himself to the limits. He sets targets and achieves them. He also drops deep to help the team in defending. He’s also among the top assists providers and always rallies behind his teammates even when things are not going their way,” added Owoka.
However, former national team coach Meshack Senge has different thoughts. Senge opted for ‘top cream’ Wanangwe in his top strikers’ list that also has Mutira, Onyango and Barkibir. Senge has interacted with almost all these players, either at club level or in the national team. Senge was in charge of the team for the last decade and he can claim to know the players better than anybody else.
According to the Strathmore University coach, Mutira, Onyango and Barkibir are all dependable but Wanangwe has the traits of a modern striker and consistency.
“The quartet are inseparable but Wanangwe is more refined. He is involved in set plays and is a drag flicker whose link up play is great. He creates chances for others, opens up space by holding onto the ball and is a clinical finisher too,” said the FIH accredited coach.
But former Butali Warriors captain Kennedy Nyongesa will hear none of that.
“I will put my money on Mutira. As much as he has not been a top scorer in the last couple of seasons, he has always been in the top three. His experience is immense and he wins big games for Butali. But we do have upcoming forwards who have done well including Wokila and Onyango, who are most likely the future of the national team,” said Nyongesa.
Nyongesa added that experience and goal-poaching abilities is all that is required for a forward. At the same time, he called for specialised training of players according to departments as it is done by international teams.
“We don’t have special training for the various departments. If you look at South Africa and Egypt, they have special trainers for different departments....forwards, midfielders, defenders and goalkeepers,” said Nyongesa.
“No wonder their performance is unrivaled. We only have one coach for everything which is our main undoing. Nigeria, Uganda, Namibia and Zimbabwe are faced with the same predicament and that is why the growth of the game in the continent has stagnated.”