After half a season adventure at Turkish side BB Erzurumspor that ended in relegation from the top-flight, Kenyan International Johanna “Tosh” Omolo is currently in the country on a short holiday. We caught up with him for a tell-it-all interview about his career journey and what lies ahead for him.You have been training with Mathare United, how has the experience been? It has been a very good experience to see what the local boys are doing and also on my part to try and stay active even when on holiday.You are a free agent – any chance you will join Mathare United in the next transfer window? My family is back in Kenya – the kids are out of school at the moment and therefore I thought it wise we come over home for sometime so yeah, I’m just around for a short stay. No chance.How was the experience in Turkey with BB Erzurumspor? Different style of play from what I was used to in Belgium where they are very keen on the tactics. In Turkey it is more power play but it was a good experience all together.The team fought hard but was eventually relegated. How was it for you? It is a shame the team was relegated – I thought we had the the potential to survive. There were management problems and I think that played a big part in our relegation.What’s the biggest difference you’ve noted between the leagues in Turkey and Belgium?Belgium is a more tactical league, using the space, trying to find creative ways to beat your opponent while in Turkey like I said they focus more on the physical side of the game.You played alongside experienced players like former Manchester United forward Gabriel Obertan. What caught your eye? Work ethic. The guy is 32 and has played at the top level, at Manchester United – that is quite something but he is the guy you will always find in the gym trying to improve his body and be as fit as possible. That is a mentality we rarely see these days with the young generation.Your journey at BB Erzurumspor came to an end, what next for you? Any deals? Harambee Stars midfielder Johanna Omolo is set to join Turkish Lig 1 side, Kocaelispor.He recently parted ways with BB Erzurumspor after they got relegated from the Turkish Super League.#KenyansAbroad pic.twitter.com/4MiYof8qaX— Ole Teya (@Kevin_teya) June 29, 2021 Well, not yet but I have someone working on it. At the moment nothing concrete.Where do you think you will be headed this time? Back to Belgium? Turkey? I have spent a big part of my career in Belgium and after going to Turkey for a few months I really want to experience something different again so definitely not Belgium.Kenyan International Joseph Okumu recently mentioned that you played a big role in his move to Belgium. What lies ahead for him in Belgium? Okumu is a very talented player. He is gonna be one of the best defenders Kenya has ever had. From Sweden I thought the right move would be to Belgium. He will like it – better competition, more games and it is a stepping stone to better leagues.You’ve been very vocal about African players moving to Europe at the right time while advocating for African football to get to a level where most of these players can make a successful career in the continent. Tell us more about this. We have to invest in our kids at home – invest more on the infrastructure to enable this kids from the ages of 9 to 16 which is very crucial. We need to bring the professionalism in Africa to ensure the kids can earn a living through football comfortably in Africa because not all of them will make it to Europe. If the talent is really exceptional then definitely one way or the other it will end up in good teams in Europe but what about the rest?You’ve been supporting lower-tier side Dandora Youth for a while now. What is the bigger picture as far as the club is concerned? I am just trying to help the kids who really love football earn a living from it. I grew up in Dandora and I know the potential. All those years we have never had a team in the premier league or even the NSL. Kids in Dandora love football and they are good in it and through this team we can transform the community. People can talk about a sense of pride. This is what I envision for Dandora Youth FC.You’ve mentioned in past interviews that you don’t think you were the best player amongst your friends while growing up. Would you say you were lucky to move to Belgium at a young age and can you mention a few players you grew up with that you think deserved to play at the highest level but never made it.I was lucky – I was not the most talented even though I was a little bit younger but they were stronger and technically better. I took the chance and by God’s grace I came out of Dandora and started a football career in Europe. We all rushed to Europe and I wouldn’t say it was a bad decision then, we were just trying to improve our lives. I can pinpoint Anthony Wadunga “Dinho” – he was a really a good striker but things happened and it is sad that we cannot see what he was capable of at this moment.You haven’t been part of the Harambee Stars squad in recent matches. What’s your take on this? I am not in the loop on what the current project is and what they are thinking about. Physically I am okay and I feel I can still play football at the highest level. We have all these players that were part of the AFCON squad that are not in the current set up – which is okay, but we should have at least been informed on what project they are building and that we will not be part of it – it is just respectful to do so. We have so many good players in Kenya and personally I am for any project that would improve the team in the long term but the least the federation would do is communicate to us directly. These things happen, you just have to inform the players respectfully and it is unfortunate this never happened.Who have you really enjoyed playing alongside in the National team? I have had a big part of my time in the National team playing alongside Victor Wanyama. We played together since we were in school as opponents, next in the U20 national team and strengthened our partnership in the senior National team and that is something unique. I enjoyed playing with Jamal Mohammed – he really entertained the crowd and made it look easy. Dennis OIiech was unbelievable and there’s also Ayub Timbe. Aboud Omar is a crazy guy too but talented. I have really enjoyed playing with them.Which young Kenyan player (s) do you think is/are the next big thing? The beauty of football is you never know. Right now I would say Okumu (Joseph) will have a marvelous career but we will see someone like Abdallah Hassan doing well and then someone else blows up. We have talented players and you can never predict who will be the next big thing.You are involved in a lot of projects through your foundation. What is popping up on that front at the moment? We are still talking to our girls in Dandora about menstrual hygiene and we have to take care of the girls and try help them achieve their dreams. We are also working with the Women Premier League on this front. It is a shame that some girls can miss crucial matches because of lacking proper menstrual pads, and so many other issues. The bottom line is that through my foundation I am trying to help the boy and girl child achieve his or her dream, be it in sports or education.What are your thoughts on the closure of Dandora Stadium and the stalled refurbishment? It is unfortunate what is happening to that pitch. We feel it is a let down from the County Government of Nairobi. They really should think about the youth. They keep saying they want to help the youth but really such a project is what would have supported the youths of Dandora. They should stop talking and just do it!Your parting shot? As people in sports we have a responsibility to help the society. Sports is a big tool in social transformation and for those who are helping, I would like to thank them – let’s keep doing it, eventually it will work out for good.
