 Good afternoon and welcome back to the touchline on Y25. My name is Max Olwasike. This time round we're talking about Mata's FC Leipards' elections later for next month on 23rd. And of course joining me is a former defender for both club and country FC Leipards and Kenya respectively, Dan Shikanda. Good afternoon and good speak to you. How have you been? I've been okay. Nice to be here with you and looking forward to a good discussion on Mata's FC Leipards. Mata's FC Leipards is a general state of Kenyan football. I know you are on the ballot as far as the chairmanship of FC Leipards is concerned in the polls you have marked for next month. What might have informed the decision? First and foremost, I'm actually looking forward to be on the ballot although today I was called by some of my supporters and they told me we understand your name is not on the list of members for 2017. And for you to buy, you need to be to have been a member for three consecutive years. That is 2017, 2018 and 2019. But I would like to calm them down. I am a paid up member of FC Leipards from in fact 2016. So I'll just confirm, I'll confirm to them that I paid 2017, 2018 and 2019. So I'm looking forward to be on the ballot and maybe to answer your question what informed me. The club has not been performing well FC and it's one of the biggest club in this region, not in this country, in this region. In fact, in the region in the sense that FC maybe could be revering Simba for the leading club in this region. We have our brothers Gormaya, yes they've achieved a lot but they're not bigger than FC. So a lot of people have actually been talking to us and telling us why did you guys leave the club and now you see people are coming in, they're messing up the club, going so why don't you guys go and try and help FC. 2017, I vied for governorship of Nairobi, I was deputizing Peter Kenneth and each place we went to, FC Leipards members and fans were on my case, why have we left FC today and that really informed me a lot. So when there was a koo beginning of last year before the league just began, some members actually had, they came, they held a press conference that they've done a koo and they're taking over the leadership of FC. That is when one of our senior members called us, Masiga, and asked us, he's been asked so many questions about Leipards. What do you think as former players, what can we do, how can we help this club? And from our discussion, most of them were done, we need to support you because we know you have what it takes maybe to run a full campaign and maybe win these elections and we fix the club first as legends too as members of FC Leipards. I know there has been much outcry from members of the public and even from former players themselves that it's high time one of them can be in charge of administrative part of Kenyan football, both club and even national team level and even at the federation level. Did it also contribute immensely to what your did? Yes, because when George Weyer was elected president of the Republic of Liberia, of course a lot of us were very happy and if a former player can actually rise to the level of presidency and we are really looking forward for him doing a good job, we were asking ourselves why do we live football to be messed by people who have not been part and parcel of the struggle, part and parcel of the game. I'm not saying that if elected as footballers maybe we will make a big difference, I think we are the right people to be there because we have been there playing, we are the ones who have been wearing the shoe and we know where the shoe pinches most. For example, if you take FC as a case study, this club has been changing coaches year in and year out, for example for the last three years statistics show that they've had 27 coaches, players have really been, there's been a high turnover of players, there's no way you can build a football team without consistency. Whether you have 11 messes on the pitch and each day you are changing coaches and you are changing the environment, definitely you will not get a result. So I believe it is a high time, some of us and not football alone, I'm talking in terms of in fact all sports cutting a cross ball that the people who are there, the people who played the game should actually come back and say we want to run our game. We've seen it's now happening in athletics, they're actually taking charge of their sport and we are looking forward for footballers to take charge of their sport. We want to start with the club and I'm sure once elected what I'll do, it will inform so much the country and the community what needs to be done in a football club. And I know as a candidate you've got a blueprint or manifesto, what does it revolve around? What do you seek to do for the club in case elected the chairman of FC Leopards? What's your ambition? My ambition is simple, first and foremost, fix the playing unit. The playing unit is the biggest asset that any club, any football club could have. But I think our playing unit has been neglected by the officials who've been there, not only this office but even in the past office. When I was playing for FC, we had very committed officials, the likes of Alfred Sambu, the likes of Fulham Samia. These people were committed with the playing unit. We have seen of late the playing unit whereby the players are always in the press, allowance is not paid, salary is not paid. Basics have not been catered for. For you to make a football team, to give it a better environment to get results, you actually need to have a playing unit that is satisfied that all its basic needs are being met. So my focus and having been a former player, I know once I get it right on the playing unit, that will be the platform and the fuel to bring changes in Leopards. Leopards as we speak, I can tell you, without fear of any contradiction, Leopards is 20 years behind, 20 years behind schedule because we train at KTTC. I am sure KTTC was not there in 1964. Leopards was formed in 1964. KTTC as an education institution has all the facilities that are pertains to education. If you look at Leopards, they don't have any facility that pertains to football. They don't have a clubhouse, they don't have a training pitch, they don't have the stadium, they don't have anything. They are just leaving hand to mouth. I am not saying if elected in the next three months, they will have all this, but I am saying if elected one, we have to work on the governance structure. Governance structure has really been letting down AFC Leopards and that's why anybody thinks that they can work in 2FC because I have some money, let me go to AFC, use it as a stepping stone because I am not known. Once I go to AFC, I will be known, then after that I will go to other ventures. No. We want to put in an infrastructure of football so that if your mind, your soul and your spirit is not football, is other things, you don't come to AFC. You don't pass through AFC going elsewhere. We want anyone coming to AFC to be focused on the core business, which is football. AFC is the biggest club in this region. When you go out there, you will be told this is the club that eliminated Assante Kotoko in 1985 when Assante Kotoko was the king of Africa. And no one knew that in East Africa people play football. So in a nutshell, I want to come in, fix the playing unit first and foremost because for you to play for AFC Leopards, you must be the best player in this region, in Africa. When I was playing football, when I was playing for AFC Leopards, I was the best number 11 in this country, in this region because we played with teams from Uganda and we played with teams from East Africa. We used to beat them. And when we were talking about AFC Leopards, and then you start comparing, I'm seeing nowadays people compare AFC with the Sofapakas of this one. And Tazka. And Tazka with Madare. That is a misnoma. AFC is bigger than this team. So what these teams can achieve, AFC should be achieving 10 times more than that. So that is what you want to instill and bring into AFC because the leadership which has been there does not know what AFC is all about. For example, we are going to play Sony tomorrow. That is a replay which was not played because when we went to Sony, they were not prepared to host AFC. But somebody somewhere who organizes the league thinks that because they did not follow the rule, they are supposed to be given a second opportunity. No, you are not supposed, if we have come up with rules, we have to follow those rules. So I feel AFC Leopards officials never put their foot down to show these people that as AFC we did our role. So the rest is yours. So I am looking forward to becoming the AFC chairman and building a team fast on the pitch which will play the best football in this country and win trophies. AFC was formed to win trophies and by winning trophies it will bring the community together and the country. I understand there is another form of international which is contesting for the same seats, the same way you are doing. That is Bonfa and Bunny. There has been also concern that why don't these form of international have some sort of solidarity and gang up efforts together against a common enemy. Are you divided? I don't think as legends we are divided because I am talking on behalf of legends and we are having a meeting tomorrow which will make a lot of decisions. Going forward you see my brother and Bunny insist that she can't be a politician so we should not move anywhere near the club. Any elective position is politics and in fact life is politics. When you are born and you cried that was the first protest where you are saying you have brought me to an environment where now I have to fight for myself. When you are fighting for yourself you have to make sure that you get the best. So yes Bonfa is actually vying, he is saying he is vying. Some decisions will be made by legends tomorrow, we are having a meeting tomorrow at 2.30. But it is anyone's democratic right actually to vie for any seat. And I am happy because long time ago no former footballer was actually offering themselves to vie. And it will be interesting and I know being a political process and some of us have gone through many political processes. I am well prepared actually to wrestle the leadership of Leopards and take it to form a place, the legends. And now we stand to be counted that yes we fought for this, what can we do first for the players, then second for the club, then third for the community and the country. Because I wonder a lot when I see this country still treating sports as a pastime. I don't know whether you are getting my point. Yes I am getting. This country does not treat sports as an industry. Sports is never given a priority. Sports is never given a priority and that's why maybe it can sound political if I say the next statement. That's why you see like ministry, ministry of sports. Yes. It comes like maybe a last thought. Who is running the ministry of sport? Who is actually in charge of sport in that country? It pains when our parents still have that notion that do not play football, go and read. Reading is important. I have gone to school. I know the importance of school. You are a doctor. But I can assure you football is bigger than even medicine, law, everything. If we get our rights, if we get our right structures in place. We just get our act rights and then after getting our act correct, right and put structures in place. We will actually produce more professional players than producing more criminals and tags the way we are doing. Because there are no opportunities. Once there are no opportunities, the top minds start thinking of how to survive and that's why you find you're generating criminals. Football can help and I can assure you if we can get it right in football. Somehow you're getting it right in athletics. But I still believe more can be done. You've seen the kind of athletes we've produced. Yes. And equally produce world beaters in football. And a good example is our touch bearer, our flag bearer Wanyama. You can see he's actually competing at the top most level in football. And we have many players of his caliber. We have many players, good players in this country if you can just put our structures right. And I don't want to fall to the federation. It all starts with the clubs, the federation and the government. These three alms must make sure they do the right thing. And this time round we are offering ourselves for elective positions in our club FC Lepad. So that we can do something at Lepad. Which other clubs can borrow, do something. Then now we pass the responsibility, the button to the federation. Which again will pass the responsibility to the government. That is how we can build football. Because I am surprised when we hear of all these academies. And then FC Lepad and Gormaya do not have academies. And they are the top most clubs in the country. So who are these running academies when FC and Gorm do not have? Mr. Shikanda, some questions are trickling in through via social media handles. And someone is asking that there have been interest from several people who want to run for the office as far as management and administration of club, football and even national team level is concerned. But they don't have the interest of the sport at heart. For you is asking, are you genuinely interested in this particular position to spur the team to another level and probably help it address its concerns, grievances or probably you want to use it as a platform to something else like politics just like you indicated earlier that you know everything is political. Thank you. I am interested. I am a product of football. I am Dr. Dan Shikanda today because football educated me from form 2. My parents never paid any school fees to the university. My football has educated my siblings. Four of my siblings have been educated through my football. So I am a product of football and I know what I am talking about. Most people, let me demistify that political thing. Most politicians use football as a stepping stone for their name recognition. Somebody comes, he is not known for example, Maxwell Waseke. You go somewhere you are not known. You start now using football platform to make sure that people know you. They use football for name recognition. Where I sit now I have been in politics without using football as a stepping stone. So today if I am elected chairman of AFC Leopard it is not that people do not know me so that they will know me through the chairmanship of AFC Leopard. I have died for governor in Nairobi. I have died as an MP in Nairobi and gone to the ballot. I have played football to the highest level in this country and outside this country. So anyone who does not know me will not be in a position even to vote for anything. So I am already known. So I am not coming to use lepers as a stepping stone for any political seat because I will be duplicating things then. I have already died for governorship in Nairobi. So why didn't I use lepers then? I am coming to lepers because of the pain we feel when people mismanage a club of lepers status. Football is simple. Football management is simple. I have been a manager for the last 15 years. Now I am in consultancy and I am working with one of the biggest company in the world as a consultant. Football, the basic thing about football is the playing unit. Get it right? If you look at Barcelona or look at Liverpool or look at all the big clubs they focus on getting the right players. People come into football. The so-called the ones who you want to use football to get to other means. They don't know what ingredients are supposed to be in place for you to make a team. So they just come. They shoot in the dark. They are elected. They are in office. They don't know what to do. They end up messing a brand. The way FC Lepers brand has been messed. So I am coming into FC. First and foremost, I will not promise big things. I am promising the FC fraternity. We want to build a playing unit which can compete and win championship. Not which can participate. Lepers has been participating. Last year they were seventh. This year we will be about top eight or top ten. We have actually just survived going to relegation because at some point we put our foot down. Let's do things in the right manner so that we get results. So it's not about... So many people out there, anyone doing something, people look at the negative, the flip side of things. But I am coming to Lepers to actually put in a structure. And I am not alone. I am with serious minds like JJ Massiga, like Peter Uhuma, like Maurice Hayota, Joel Busolo. So many people who have actually built this brand of AFC Lepers. Now what we just want to do, we have our legacies we've left in the club. For example, I have won three titles with AFC Lepers. So coming to in the league to me, that is not a legacy I will leave. If next year we win the league and we must, we are coming up with a project of 72 plus one points for next year to win the league. It will not be a legacy for me because I already won the league. My legacy is to do things differently and leave something which any other official, any other office never left. So I mean this, for the purposes of putting Lepers back to where it belongs. As we speak right now, there is a club as far as National Super League is concerned. It's called Wazito. It's making headlines positively because the new owner has made several strides, even acquisition of the bus and their games are being televised live. And like Gormaya and AFC Lepers, the traditional clubs that enjoy huge fan base, even the stadium itself is not in place, in terms of ensuring that even infrastructural capacity of AFC Lepers is well addressed. How do you seek to go about it? Simple. And I like the example you've given us of Wazito. I don't want to be a prophet of doom, but let me just give you my thoughts. 20 years down the line, maybe we'll not have Wazito. 20 years down the line, and I'll give you reasons. But 20 years down the line, we'll still have AFC and Gormaya. I don't want 20 years down the line, AFC to be in this state, and 20 years down the line, we have a team, there was a team called Wazito, but buses did this, but now it's not there. We are coming into AFC, not as Dan Shikanda, as a group of serious professionals who've gone through football. And we know that this club is behind schedule. This club actually needs some structures in place to be a complete football club. It is embarrassing, and it is actually annoying to be in the 21st century, and yet a big club like AFC do not have, not a stadium, just a training ground. Training ground, in the middle of nowhere, just buy a small piece of land, put goals this side and this side, then this is our playing ground. This is our training ground. Not even a stadium, a training ground. We are coming in to make sure that after the three years, somebody will say, Dan Shikanda and company and team did something. We are not coming in just to be part of the statistics that we were officials. I have told you, as a player, I won the league with the FC three times and I can assure you, as an official, my target or my objective, yes, my primary objective is to win the league, but my secondary objective and the rest and tertiary is to make sure that there is an infrastructure in AFC Leopard. But anyone who comes after me will actually see there are people who did something here. Besides addressing the welfare of playing units and that of technical bench and FC Leopard has been associated with plenty of shortcomings. You know, you've also mentioned some aspect of changing of players and inconsistency being one of the reasons that has contributed towards, downfall of the club. The standards have drastically dwindled. What else do you think have been the flaws of the club? You vehemently support. The serious flaws of the club is that the leadership of the club most of the people have come into little lepers. They did not know what to do. For example, technical bench, you've mentioned technical bench. You see, the notion out here and even the people will be vying against me think that technical bench is coach and maybe assistant coach and team manager. That's very far from the truth. Technical bench, when you're actually building a team which has to go out and compete, you must be aware of your opponent. I have been in FC as a rescue member and interacted with players, asked them about their opponent, asked them about a number of issues about our football and our participation in the league and they realized most of our players know themselves but they don't know the opponent. I've also interacted with the technical bench about we are going to play, for example, we are playing Sony tomorrow. Sony played on Thursday against KCB. If I was chairman of FC today and we were to go and play Sony, I could have had my technical members, not necessarily my coach and my assistant coach, other two or three members travelling to Awendo to go and see who this Sony is, do a reke. They go on a spy mission. Then as we prepare for that team we actually know they get their goals from here. This is how they defend. So when you are going to play them you are completely prepared. Our let down or miss happening has been we do not prepare adequately for our matches. Preparing for our matches is not just preparing your team. It is also knowing what your opponent is doing, his strength and his weaknesses. You must have swats for both strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and also their swats. So that by the time you are playing them you know where they are most vulnerable and you take advantage of that. Number two we come, all the offices have seen in FC Leopards my managerial skills are different from others. People start their league, their season without even a budget. So now you start depending mungu sa idea. In Kimia we say that if God does not help you then you are done. God helps those who help themselves first. Where I have worked through we never start a season without a budget. Even as I sit here I actually know my rough budget for next season. And I usually have interacted a lot with these players and I tell them next season I'll be paying you once you win a match for me before that sweat dries I'll have paid you a win allowance. Because that's the way. That's how to show people we are serious as an office. Are you serious as a playing unit? We want them to have different opportunities. We want to train them on life skills so that they know whatever they are doing now will have repercussion in their life in future. For example, I started an interview in South Africa and somebody on the panel through football 30 years down the line so it is key they should know whatever they are doing now playing football they should not think they are passing time. It is a key ingredient for their future. Most people come in looking at the social media what people are saying they will do. You can't do all those things without fixing the playing unit. These are people who have been together in the rescue team and others have been coaches for the junior team but they have not talked to any player of AFC Leppans for the last one year and now you are offering yourself to be chairman and these players of AFC who are supposed to be your sons you have never even spared a minute to talk to them for a whole year what makes you think that once elected now you will be talking to these guys you won't have time for them you will start thinking now Super sport is giving us 52 million now this 52 million maybe the club these are just people for football I should give them this you will go wrong and while talking about the financial aspect of the team several scenarios have been witnessed before AFC Leppans and even Gurmaa football club top clubs locally have resorted to approaching politicians for handouts when you get elected will there be self sustaining programs that make the team be self reliant upon itself resoting to such situations I am looking at the social media and people are saying we need a chairman who has money financial muscle any chairman elected with financial muscle is coming to kill the team because we need if I give you a fish you won't know how to fish but if I train you how to fish you will eat for the rest of your life Leppans need to generate its own money Leppans is a serious gold mine serious gold mine and I can assure you once elected chairman for Leppans my first goal will be to build a winning unit which as we speak some people have been engaged we need about 6 players to add to what we have so that we can win our matches on the pitch once we start winning our matches on the pitch I have told you we need a budget for next year I trust in God that we still have the sponsorship for for sport spacer I have been reading that some things are happening but I trust God that sport spacer will still be our sponsorship as sponsor hands as an office we have to come with measures to raise another 48 million because my budget for next year for FC is 100 million we have to come in with measures to actually raise 48 million I am surprised that somebody people have been running FC Leppans without resource mobilization departments even serious corporates do marketing so that at the end of the day they can bring in more business and raise money I am surprised FC Leppans does not market the brand Coca-Cola to that market Coca-Cola and like FC Leppans and like FC Leppans where everybody sits God for us all expect money to come from and then when we are stuck definitely he will run to politicians I went to Lusaka personally the other day and I know a lot of questions are being asked I went to Lusaka because we had to hone our matches the 52 million that super sport is giving us with the crash program we have has not been enough to see the club hone its obligations and I went to Lusaka Lusaka gave us 950,000 to pay some allowances to take the team to western for two matches and also to honor the Bandari match but I can assure the football fraternity the FC Leppans fraternity that come next year those will be things of the past because Leppans must generate their own revenue it is unfortunate we are going for an election and we are paying membership to vote membership for heaven's sake should be a revenue generation generating exercise it should not be tied to an election so when you tie it to an election you end up having 1200 members going to vote and like tying it to generating revenue for the club so that it can perform well you will have 10,000 members 100,000 members and mark my words when elected I will come back here after my 3 years we are paying 1,000 looking forward to that and as we wind up of course we are going to speak a little bit about state of Kenyan football as far as matters national team is concerned Rambi stars has qualified to African cup of nations after 15 years of waiting they will be participating in that continental show pislated for Egypt next months and I know you also played for the national team apart from featuring for local club FC Leppans what do you make of the strides that have been achieved as far as administration and management of football so far so good and one of the people in this country who actually faced Nyamoya and told Nyamoya he is doing a lot of nothing in Kenyan football we were criticized we were abused, we were told everything by even some of our former players because Nyamoya was taking care of them you see football you need actually to prepare there is no shortcut in football and I am happy that the federation has done something but there is a lot which needs to be done the difference between Nyamoya federation the FIFA friendly the FIFA windows and well taken care of federation has used them well for purposes of improving our football then the regime was using them for purposes of making money there are a few people there is something happening in our football a lot can still be done but now there is some light at the end of the tunnel I am not saying they have done everything well no I am not saying that but they have done something a lot of people will say if Sierra Leone never pulled out we could not have gone how many teams were we in that pool three we were four Sierra Leone pulled out two of us have gone Ethiopia has not gone so if we had not done our homework right Ethiopia could have gone instead of us so give credit to the federation I actually vied against them as a vice president but I can today say that they have done something positive which was never done before but they still have a lot to do which I believe if they listen to people's and other voice of reason they will do that we are going to the cup of nation not as as challenges I can say that but we shall learn something from there I am hoping we will prepare well so that we are not the whipping boys but all said and done whatever results we get we can build on that and that is the beauty about a federation which focuses on doing matters football then a federation which focuses Shikanda is the chairman I need to make as much money as I can so I will organize a friendly with a team which will beat us moves up in the rank but Shikanda makes some money and life continues that is what has been happening in our Kenyan football even at club level, at national team level and even down there in the grass roots I hope a lot will change so that we can tap talent down there we are losing our best players to crime to sicknesses to matatu industry and other things then we don't have the best coming through the way athletics is doing athletics are actually getting 80% of their best we are getting less than 10% of our best coming to the national to the national platform national level finally as we wind up what are the eligibility requirements that one has to possess for him or her to be entitled for voting process it's unfortunate that a few members will actually participate in the election to me that is not wrong why if you are not majority to me that is not wrong because the club has been there and everybody who has been close to the club knew that these are the requirements you have to be a paid up member for two consecutive seasons for you actually to vote number one even for that and for you to vote number two for you to buy you must have been a paid up member and you are paying a thousand per year for three consecutive years that is 2017, 2018, 2019 for you to vote you must be a paid up member that 1000 shillings for 2018 and 2019 the reason why they put that which to me was very logical and right people used to wait for elections and go and ferry everybody all the mamambogas and bring them to vote this mamamboga does not know what she is voting for but because she has been given some money she will come and elect Dan Shikanda because Dan Shikanda has given her some money then goes Dan Shikanda does not know FC problems have voted for you but because there are few those who come to the stadium they have been outnumbered by those who don't come who have just been ferried now the club starts suffering for example we are going for elections on the 23rd and I hope no lawyer will go to court to actually stop that election the members participating have actually been following the team for the last two years the members not participating they have not been following the team because if they were following the team they could have known the criteria for eligibility the members going to vai for example we have talked about people using football as a stepping stone if these rooms were not there I am sure some people want to vai governor in western could have come to vai in AFC Leopards then when they are coming to vai they don't know anything about footmark but because they are deep pocketed they will just pour money and get elected after that they abscond the club they abscond their responsibility they leave the club suffering so what is in place is the correct measure the people are going to vai who are going to be allowed to actually vai have been following the team for the last three years so they are just not coming in because it is an election and I want to be governor in Kikamega or Busea or Nairobi or Rua now I am coming to vai no they have been following the club to make decisions always a pleasure speaking to you Dan Shikanda Foma International joining us on the touchline this particular afternoon on Y252 give his perspective with regards to his ambition and bid for FC Leopards chairmanship elections later for next month on 2030 is one of the candidates looking for it to be elected of course alongside Bonfa Sambani was also offered himself to vai for the chairmanship of the club alongside Mori Samawa prominent businessman at the cost but Dan is hopeful and optimistic that he will get elected and restore the lost glory of the club this is the touchline on Y252 don't go away stay tuned of course coming up next is the funds on where we are giving a focus on international football with regards to what happened as far as UEFA Champions League and Europa League is concerned but before that let's take a look at the highlights of what happened on both Tuesday and Wednesday nights