FKFPL 2023-24: Coach Frank Ouna tips favorites

Exactly one week to the start of the Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL) 2023-24 season, Coach Frank Ouna has tipped the teams he thinks are favorites to win the title and those that are likely to struggle to stay afloat.

Winning DNA, experience and continuity are some of the factors the former Gor Mahia assistant coach and Wazito FC head coach believes will matter most in the race for the coveted gong.

In his analysis, Ouna tips the defending champions Gor Mahia to retain their title, which they won for a record 20th time, with stiff competition coming from Tusker FC and moneybags Police FC, in that order.

KCB, he holds, will be the season's surprise package.

Why Gor Mahia?

Chaotic management notwithstanding, Gor Mahia, according to Ouna, has a winning DNA ingrained in their system.

K'Ogalo also ticks the experience box and has kept a good chunk of players who won the league, and hence will easily pick up from where they left off last season.

"A winning culture was instilled in the team when they won the 2013 title after close to a 20-year wait," said the immediate former Musanze FC coach.

"Every player joining the club, even average ones, steps up and morphs into winners because of this factor and the expectation to win," he added.

With experienced faces like long-serving midfielder Ernest Wendo and defenders Geoffrey Ochieng and Philemon Otieno within its ranks, Ouna holds that Gor Mahia has a rich blend of players who can offer leadership in critical moments.

"These are the players who came out, alongside the chairman, to calm fans when it looked like the title was slipping away towards the end of last season," Ouna said.

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Player turnover is Tusker's Achilles heel

Since 2013, only Tusker FC has been able to wrestle the league title from Gor Mahia twice, and Ouna believes they will once again be a force to reckon with.

Like their rivals K'Ogalo, the Brewers tick all the right boxes except squad stability.

"Tusker is the only team that seems to be rebuilding every season. This may work against them, but still they have within their ranks players who have won the league with the club, so like Gor Mahia, they have the winning mentality," Ouna observed.

Police's strength is in squad quality

Since getting promoted to the top flight two seasons back, Police FC have acquired the title moneybags thanks to their generous transfer purse, but they are yet to win any major title.

A third-place finish last season was their best since the return, yet, going by the continued rebuilding of the squad, they want more and have set their eyes on this season's championship.

Just like Gor Mahia and Tusker, Police have within their hierarchy experienced players like Musa Mohammed, Harun Shakava and Francis Kahata, who have won the league, however, not with the club.

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"Police, in as much as they have quality players who have won the league elsewhere, lack the winning culture," said Ouna.

The coach, yet, contends that the Law Enforcers boasts the best quality squad and will be a force to reckon with in the campaign.

Bernard Mwalala effect at KCB

Given support and space to work, Ouna thinks newly appointed KCB FC coach Bernard Mwalala can deliver for them.

The Bankers had a good run for the better part of the previous season under Zedekiah "Zico" Otieno, only to crumble under pressure and finish fifth.

"Mwalala is one of the best coaches we have around, and with support and room to work, KCB will be the surprise package."

Strugglers

Without strong financial backing after their sponsor left, Ouna thinks that Nairobi City Stars will struggle to stay afloat, and so will Talanta FC.

"They (City) have lost quite a number of players, which is a bad indicator, however, for Talanta, coach Ken Kenyatta has nine lives, but you can't bank too much on luck," Ouna finished.