FKF have a new office led by Hussein Mohammed and his deputy Macdonald Mariga, after they won the federation’s elections held late last December to replace Nick Mwendwa at the helm.
FKF is in the market for a new coach following the exit of Engin Firat, who left in a huff after he failed to guide Harambee Stars to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Morocco.
Already the name of former Bafana Bafana striker McCarthy has featured prominently as the man set to replace the Turkish coach. Kenya are currently under interim coach Francis Kimanzi, who is being assisted by Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno and John Kamau. Kimanzi was handed the role of preparing the team for the invitational 2025 Mapinduzi Cup tournament currently going on in Zanzibar.
Return of the board will solve perennial problems
According to Oliech, who managed 76 appearances for Harambee Stars and scored 34 goals, the return of the board as was the case more than a decade ago, will go a long way to help solve the perennial problems that have plagued the team over the years.
“I urge FKF President Hussein (Mohammed) and his deputy Macdonald (Mariga) to set up a board that will help in running the affairs of the national team,” Oliech, who turned professional in 2003 playing for Al-Arabi in Qatar until late 2005, told Flashscore.
“Myself, Musa Otieno and other former players should sit on the board as we have a lot to offer to the team. The national team was doing very well many years ago when we had a board that helped in running it. I hope our services will be incorporated.”
The former striker, who in 2004, was offered a chance to change his citizenship from Kenyan to Qatari but turned it down, further said he is ready to work with McCarthy (if he gets appointed), as an advisor on technical issues, shaping forwards and scouting.
“We have tried people, who have never played football before, with our national team and they have failed us. FKF should change tact and bring former players on board. I am willing to work with coach Benni (McCarthy).
"I can train our forwards, scout new players and help develop the ones we have,” offered Oliech, who at age of 19, was named by The Guardian newspaper as one of the world’s most promising young players in a list which included future stars such as Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie.
“It is very clear that football belongs to those who have been involved in it. I don’t understand why the previous regime could give jobs, to some people who don’t understand and have never played the game to coaching roles, former players should be at the forefront when it comes to matters national teams,” added Oliech, who played alongside Stefan Effenberg and Gabriel Batistuta during his stint at Qatar.
Origi’s Harambee Stars appointment the way forward
At the same time, the former Nantes striker lauded FKF for employing former Harambee Stars goalkeeper Arnold Origi to handle national team custodians. Origi was appointed to the role alongside Kimanzi and he is currently in Zanzibar with the team as they participate in the invitational 2025 Mapinduzi Cup tournament.
Oliech, whose first international match was in 2002 when Kenya lost to Nigeria 3-0, termed the appointment as overdue, emphasizing that Origi had the right coaching badges and what it takes to guide young goalkeepers to professional football.
“FKF did the right thing in hiring Origi. He has played for the team and professional football for a long time. I am sure we will witness improvements in the department. We may likely see our goalkeepers getting deals abroad as he has the connections,” explained Oliech.
In a recent interview, Origi opened up about his return to Harambee Stars, his unexpected shift into coaching, and his thoughts on the players in camp.
“Being back with the national team is a great feeling – it’s always an honour,” Origi said. “I’ve had the privilege of representing Harambee Stars as a player, and now I’m here as a goalkeeper trainer. It’s a different role, but one I’ve grown to love.
“My move into coaching wasn’t planned. My role model was Gianluigi Buffon, who played well into his 40s, and I wanted to follow in his footsteps. But after my last contract at FC Hord in Norway, finding a good offer became really tough. As you get older, it’s just how the game works. Luckily, I had completed my UEFA coaching badges for goalkeepers, and when I got the chance to train keepers at Ostersund, I realised it was something I truly enjoyed. That’s where my coaching journey started.”
Apart from playing for Nantes, Oliech featured for Auxerre, where he managed 165 appearances and scored 25 goals, and AC Ajaccio where he featured 50 times and found the back of the net eight times.
In 2015, Oliech terminated his contract with Ajaccio, which was to run until June 2015 on mutual consent. The club then announced that Oliech would join UAE Arabian Gulf League side Al Nasr but he ended up signing for Dubai CSC in the UAE Division 1 league. In 2019, Oliech returned to play in the Kenyan Premier League for reigning champions Gor Mahia and retired afterwards.
At K’Ogalo, he managed 19 appearances and scored five goals. He scored five goals at the 2002 CECAFA Cup, leading Kenya to the title as well as getting the top scorer award.
Oliech scored three goals, including the winning goal against Cape Verde in the final match of the 2004 African Cup of Nations qualification as Kenya qualified for the final tournament. He also scored a goal in a 3-0 win over Burkina Faso in the 2004 AFCON itself.
