The customary stereotype in sports more often than not is that the coaching role is one that requires respect, experience and wisdom gained through both but in recent times there has been an emergence of a crop of young and exciting coaches who have broken this old adage with former AFC Leopards forward Ray Omondi perfectly slotting into this category.In this era clubs are more open to the idea of young coaches being at the helm with the ones trusted with such positions being perfect ambassadors including Julian Nagelsmann, Wayne Rooney, Mikel Arteta and Steven Gerrard just to mention a few working miracles at their various work stations.The same can seldomly be narrated in this part of the world with top clubs still sticking to the old guns but there are still few examples most notably Gor Mahia appointing 37-year-old Jonathan Mckinstry and Ulinzi Stars also trusting the former’s agemate Bernard Mwalala.Renegade goalkeeper Levis Opiyo pledges allegiance to AFC Leopards after weeks of sulkingAt just 30, Ray is going against the grain in the coaching world as he overcame the horrors of a career-ending injury to still stick to the sport as he has successfully completed his entry-level coaching badges and has been trusted with the reins at Kibra United where he is punching above his weight with a shoestring budget to deliver impeccable results.Despite Kibra United being a small brother to other more established clubs in the second biggest slum in Africa, Ray has managed to turn the results of the team around and implement an attractive style of football which has managed to draw fans to their home games that are usually packed to the rafters.Just like many young coaches who take up the role at a budding age, Ray fell under the bracket of players whose careers were robbed by injuries and having already had previous experience of coaching through Lxlg Sports Academy which he co-founded with his friend Julio Odhiambo during his Thika United days he decided to cut his teeth in coaching.“When I suffered an injury it was tough, I used to stay at home and think of what to do next and I had no answers because the one thing I was used to doing for the last six years was to play football.Doing something else was hard, yes I have the papers and I can get a job but it’s just not natural to me, I will only be doing it to get money and not because it’s something I love but when I’m on the field at least I can teach the future generations how to make it in Kenyan football,” explains Ray on his decision to take up coaching at a young age.##NAJAVA_MECA_6685894##The fatal injury that consigned his fate on the pitch as a player happened back in 2020 when he was on trial at Nairobi City Stars under their then head coach Sanjin Alagic as he tore his Achilles tendon that usually takes over 6-12 months depending on a number of factors including age.A trip to Spain with his Academy in 2021 when some of the boys were taken for trails in a number of lower league sides fully convinced him that his next role was on the touchline after the coaches in the Iberian country left a lasting impression on him and indoctrinated a new dimension of football that led to him seeing the sport from a different angle.After sending a number of players to different countries across the world including Spain and the USA, it did not take long for his coaching prowess to get noticed as Kibra United who ply their trade in the Football Kenya Federation Division Two came calling.After pondering on the decision he finally assumed the head coach role in January 2022, Ray decided to cut his teeth in coaching by giving back to the local community and work his way to the upper echelons of football by starting from the bottom.Since assuming the reins at Kibra United the rollercoaster journey has been full of highs with occasional lows as he guided the club to a third-place finish in the Division Two missing out on a Playoff spot by just seven points in his debut season on the dugout.Ray is no different from many modern coaches who prefer to approach games individually instead of having a philosophy cast on stone as it offers opponents a hard time guessing how one will approach the game.“I’ve watched a lot of football both locally and internationally more so the lower leagues of Spain and I do not want to teach my players a football philosophy, I would like to teach them how to adapt to different coaching levels.I want my players to know the three Ps Possession, Position, and Pressure and every player should learn how to deal with any of the Ps at any particular time. I want my players to match up to Tusker whenever we are playing them,” says Ray when asked about his football philosophy.Having a CAF D coaching licence under his belt, Ray plans to bolster his CV with a CAF C which he plans to do in Uganda as the country is currently serving a FIFA suspension for government interference in football.The lethal forward during his heydays is of the opinion that more advanced coaching badges should be made mandatory for coaches in the country to help them bring an attractive style of play that will in turn drive droves of fans into stadiums.The emergence of William Muluya at Kariobangi Sharks and Nicholas Muyoti at Nairobi City Stars who have impressed with their attacking football gives hope that young coaches are the future of football in the country. Taiwo Atieno: American investors ready to pump Ksh 236 Million into KPL##NAJAVA_MECA_6685954##His tender age in coaching comes with teething problems as he admitted that top clubs are not willing to experiment with young coaches leaving them with no option but to take the long route to the summit.“The biggest challenge we face is getting into the market. We start from small teams which have players who are going through a lot and we all know when a player is not settled he cannot deliver.I was telling my coaching staff that the likes of (Francis) Kimanzi should come to the lower leagues and we should take up the top teams because it is easier for us to deal with experienced players who have less challenges but with that said I still enjoy my career and I live every moment in it,” says Ray.Despite being young in the coaching scene, Ray prefers to work with experienced players though he admits that it comes with its own challenges but veterans easily adapt to tactics he wants to be implemented with the perks of working with budding talents being that they rarely question tactics but he prefers a blend of both in his team.Less than a year into his coaching journey, it is no surprise that he prefers his playing career compared to his time in the dugout but a few trophies in maybe he might rethink his answer.“I think my playing career was more interesting because God gave me a system at City Stars to learn and at Thika to develop my football. Those who watched me play and those who have seen my coach note a big difference because I’m more calm on the touchline.”AFC Leopards youngster set to resume trainingThe gaffer is hoping to leave a lasting impression on the players he handles just like former Nairobi City Stars and Thika United head coach Tim Bryett who not only followed a similar career path to him but had a huge impact on his playing career.Of the many coaches who Ray has played under, he credits Bryett as the best coach having produced one of his best performances under the Englishman but wishes he had the chance to play more under Robert Matano who he terms as a serial winner in the country.Playing CareerA forward during his days, Ray developed a passion for football during his formative years as he played estate football in the dusty fields of Jamhuri, Nairobi as he honed his skills of becoming a top marksman just like Kibra football’s greatest son, Jesse Were who went on to become Zesco United’s all-time top scorer.So good were his skills back then that he was a cut above his peers which prompted his coach to recommend him to Dimba Patriots then known as Pirates back in 2009 who wasted no time in snapping him up to bolster their attack line in the provincial league.It did not take long for his talent to get noticed around the area as word quickly spread of a lanky forward who was sending shivers down the spine of defenders as Kibera Celtic acquired his serves after a year.Physically imposing forwards who can bang goals week in week out is not a common occurrence in the country and just two years into his playing career a shot at the Kenyan Premier League came calling this time it was another team from the slum in the name of Mathare United who invited him for trials.With the club boasting seasoned forwards such as Emmanuel Tostao, Masud Juma, Harry Mwendwa, and Daniel Mwaura, Ray failed to impress the then Slum Boys head coach Stanley Okumbi as he continued with his sojourn at Kibera Celtic.The heartbreak suffered when he was denied a chance in the top tier at Mathare was turned into joy when by chance he stumbled upon trials at Nairobi City Stars through his elder brother Dan Aceda who is an award-winning musician and performing artiste.Ray was second time lucky and as fate would have it, he was offered a chance at City Stars in 2012 and having been trusted with being the focal point of their attack at such a young age left a lasting impression on him.“That is the reason why City Stars will always be close to my heart because they trusted me when few would have and those experienced players I played with then are still my very good friends to date,” explains Ray.The now-defunct Thika United who were synonymous with promoting young talents was his next work station and he did not disappoint during his stint with the Milkmen as he emerged the top scorer in the 2015 season and to date hold his most memorable game.“My most memorable game has to be Thika vs Muhoroni at Thika Stadium, we were 2-0 down, I had a serious goal drought and the fans started jeering at me but the coach had faith in me and I returned to the second half and scored a hat-trick and that remains to be my best moment in football,” explains Ray with a grin on his face.Due to the club not being financially stable, Ray had to double up as a junior accountant at Kenyatta National Hospital to plug the financial deficit with salaries always a constant headache but he still had the time to complete his Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Nairobi.Bigger clubs however jostled for his signature after emerging as the top goal scorer in Thika, most notably Tusker and Mathare United with Francis Kimanzi personally giving him a call in a bid to persuade him to join the Slum Boys.A dilemma threatened to curtail his steadily rising football career as he won a scholarship at the University of Central Lancashire in England which he took after putting much thought into it hoping that he could relaunch his career at the home of football but the institution did not have a strong football team and opted to train with a lower league team.“The University did not have a strong football team, I went for one week’s training but left to train with a team called Bamber Bridge that was in the Northern National League.”The big break in football he was looking for came under unimaginable circumstances as Stewart Hall who had learned of his stay in England came to personally convince him to sign for AFC Leopards after landing the head coach role.“When I finished my Masters we had holidays and at that time Stewart Hall was the coach at AFC Leopards and he approached me and told me he wanted me to partner with (Paul) Kiongera upfront. Growing up I had always idolized Kiongera alongside Jesse Were.He even came to my room to try and convince me to sign for AFC Leopards which I did but things did not go to plan, there was a lot of politics in the team and I opted to train with Kariobangi Sharks but they not did put an offer on the table but later on AFC came with a better offer which I took,” added Ray.Just when his career was about to take off, Stewart Hall was fired with Robert Matano tasked with taking over the reins and his stay at Ingwe was not made any easier by the numerous injuries he suffered as he quickly regretted his decision to leave England.“I felt that I would have had the best time in my career at AFC Leopards but injuries really affected me and when Matano took over he brought a lot of foreigners,” explained Ray.After settling for limited playing time under Robert Matano, Ray was soon shipped out on loan to Sony Sugar in a bid to recapture the devastating form that he had put out at Thika as he would be assured of game time something he craved for at the time.AFC Leopards sweating over duo’s availabilityHis stint at Sony did not yield the desired results as he opines that you cannot drive a Ferrari in a farm but his return to his parent club saw him find numerous chances with head coach Rodolfo Zapata taking over.It quickly became clear that he was not part of the Argentine’s plans as he joined Posta Rangers, a stint that was marked with a number of off-pitch issues with the club delaying player’s salaries which led to him terminating his contract in January 2018.In the June transfer window the same year while on trial at City Stars he suffered a horrific knee injury that later on ushered him into coaching with the lanky forward looking to further his career in coaching by joining clubs in the upper tiers of Kenyan football.
