By Mark Allan Karanja
It seems everything at present is about the World Cup. Who is in, who is out, who should have stayed and who had no chance. I might be shot for saying this but I don’t lose sleep over football. It can get very overwhelming for me. Too many teams to follow or watch out for, too many players to love or hate. It is all too much for me. I prefer to get second hand news. The summarized version. Who won? Should I like them? Okay then, yaaaay!
But it got me thinking. The Sumu cast could make a killer team, couldn’t it? No? Well, let me break it down. Presenting my faux team.
AMA, THE COACH
She watches out for the girls. She has all the tricks any serious coach should have if her team stands any chance at competing. She was a player in her day. Her star player, Mariam, is always front and center, leading the attack. Her strategy is always offense. Disable their defenses. Hit them with so much beauty that they have no choice but to concede defeat. Ama employs The Guide and Discovery coaching style. She encourages her players to become more involved and take ownership and responsibility on the pitch. Which in our case is Ama’s Lounge.
MARIAM, THE STRIKER
She has the precision of a seasoned leader of the line. She doesn’t chance her strikes. She aims for back of the net and hardly ever misses. When Mariam is in the game, you know a victory is ensured. But lately her form has been in question after coming up against Okwonkwo. Even the most clinical of strikers meets their match. The season is far from over so the question is whether Mariam will prove resilient or succumb to the heat of the match.
EVA, THE MIDFIELDER
She is defined by blurred lines. Continually changing between being part of the attack and helping out in defense. She seems to be a bit off form given the number of times Martin has made it past her, we worry about the defensive aspects of her game as a midfielder. Cynthia is currently having a blast making light of Eva’s skills to play the field. We only hope she takes a more offensive than defensive role in her position.
TINDI, THE SUB
She is still on the bench. She has played a few friendlies, playing striker in place of Mariam, much to Mariam’s displeasure, going head to head against Okwonkwo. She has also made appearances in midfield for Eva a couple of times and putting in decent performances, and sometimes tries to be coach in place of Ama. But it is clear she still needs a little more experience before she is ready to start on games along side seasoned pros like Eva and Mariam. But she might just surprise us.
SOLOMON, THE WINGER
He tries to support his strikers the best he can. He’s often sprinting down the sideline into open space, tracking his girl Tindi. Lately he has taken on the strikers role, albeit not very well, seeing its not his natural position. The ladies certainly like him, but he lacks that certain something that any seasoned pro ought to have, that clinical finishing prowess. A little more time on the field and he might just be a smooth player.
TASH, THE STRIKER
Now we understand why he and Mariam had such a hard time at it. What happens when you put two big name, star strikers together? Chaos, that’s what. Olive is perfect for him since she allows him to be in the lime light and lead the attacks. But it is fun to watch him and Mariam go head to head. “Battle of the titans” style.
OKWONKWO THE GOALIE
Nothing gets past this experienced and sturdy shot stopper. He has enough knowledge of the game to sense when he is being played. And Mariam is learning that the hard way. He watches the attack with intrigue, almost nonchalant. But he quickly makes it clear there is no victory to be gained at his expense.
If you haven’t caught on yet, I am an absolute football novice, but I have great respect for the sport and the amazing players. And I am sure we can all agree the SUMU CAST is the winning team. Don’t forget to vote by clicking here to ensure their victory at the KALASHAS 2014.
Whichever team you support, don’t forget to Catch SUMU LA PENZI on Africa Magic Swahili.