Muhidin gives two reasons Coast region has struggled to produce top flight players

Photo Credit: Bandari FC

FKFPL Muhidin gives two reasons Coast region has struggled to produce top flight players

Mark Kinyanjui 13:28 - 09.05.2023

The experienced gaffer was recently appointed the interim coach at Bandari.

Bandari technical director and current interim coach Twahir Muhidin has given two reasons the Coastal region has failed to produce players that regularly in the top flight and also for the national football team, Harambee Stars.

In recent years, it has been common to see players mostly from the Western side of the country become the talent hub for the FKF Premier League as well as for the National Team. 

Although some players, such as Hassan Abdallah and Abud Omar have still emerged from the Coast and gone on to play for the national team, they have still been few and far between.

On top of that, clubs like Coastal Union and Mombasa Wanderers have also gone defunct, which has further hindered talents from getting to play for clubs where they can nurture their talents.

Speaking during a live Question and Answer session held on the club’s Facebook page just days after he took the reins as interim head coach following coach Anthony “Modo” Kimani’s sacking, the vastly experienced tactician gave two reasons that the region has failed to produce enough talent.

“First things first, the lack of adequate infrastructure in terms of the pitches and training ground is the biggest hindrance to any sport making strides in the 17 rules of the game,” he said.

“There were pitches left, right and center in the past here in Mombasa for example, especially in the 60s and 70s where people would express themselves. Players would come and play, expressing themselves. Those pitches ended up being grabbed by individuals and it has contributed to the downgrade of football here.

“In Nairobi, teams always emerge every year because they have the infrastructure that we do not. We are not producing technical players anymore. At Bandari, we have a player named (James) Kinyanjui. He has the technical ability you would expect of a Mombasa player, where he can receive the ball at his feet and draw away three players on the dribble. This does not come from the coast though anymore.That is because we do not have facilities.”

Muhiddin also cited a lack of enough football knowledge amongst Coast-based coaches as another reason players produced have struggled to get to the top flight of Kenyan football.

“Coaches from Mombasa also have insufficient football knowledge because they have not gone through the level of education required to gain it. They are afraid to do their coaching badges due to fear because of the language barrier because they claim they cannot understand English.

“I did my coaching badges through my willingness to go the extra mile, and I did my coaching badges in Swahili. I encourage them to stop fearing. I am willing to teach them these courses in Swahili.

"Most of the players are coached by tacticians with insufficient coaching knowledge as a result of this, which leaves them half-cooked.”

Muhiddin has been in charge of Bandari over two games, a 0-0 draw against KCB and a 7-2 hammering of Vihiga Bullets at the Mbaraki Stadium last Sunday.