Legendary former Harambee Stars captain Denis Oliech has shared his honest opinion as to why most Kenyan footballers struggle to perform well when they turn professional in foreign lands.
Oliech spent over a decade plying his trade for clubs in Asia and Europe, most notably featuring for FC Nantes and AJ Auxerre in France, where he even played in the Champions League against teams like AC Milan and Real Madrid.
It has been common to see a number of Kenyan footballers who go abroad returning to Kenya after a short while, including Gor Mahia’s George “Blackberry” Odhiambo, who played in Denmark for a while before returning to Kenya.
The 37-year-old retired forward has revealed why many Kenyans struggle to create a career abroad.
“It is not easy playing in Europe,” Oliech told the Kenya Psychiatric Association. “You have to be mentally switched on,” he added.
“There are many people who run away from Europe because it is very cold, the food is different and there is a language barrier. That is why most Kenyans leave and then come back quickly because they struggle to survive there.”
Oliech believes that coming up with a mentorship programme that could be used to equip local-based footballers on what to expect when they move abroad should be the way forward in order to help increase the success rate of Kenyans who turn professional.
He mentioned a dear friend of his who he recommended to trials in Qatar while as an Al Arabi player but struggled to make a career before returning to Kenya.
“Mentally, they have not been taught how to survive. We need to come up with a mentorship programme to mentor them before they go professional.
“I have a friend from Dagoretti called Agie Kadona. When I was in Qatar, I recommended him to come to Qatar for trials, but he tried escaping, but he told me he missed the food back home and the reggae music.
“That boy should have been the next Dennis Oliech, but now, he is embroiled in using substances like Chang’aa. If he had been mentored earlier, he would have a car and have a lot of money, and even have a good family.”
Oliech has revealed his door is open to anyone who may be willing to talk about the challenges of being a footballer abroad, as he feels his experience can help big time.
“I want to help people. If they are willing to talk, I can help them out. I recommend people to seek and talk to someone so that they can avoid things like suicide or being involved in crime.”
The former Kenya captain hung his boots in 2019 while as a player at Gor Mahia.
