Oliech of French side AJ Auxerre threw in the towel last week, a month after he accused the Stars’ sponsors, East Africa Breweries Limited (EABL) of using his image in a billboard without his consent.
Supersport.com quoted Oliech’s terse statement in part reading: “It is a sad day for Kenyan football. It is with a heavy heart that I announce my retirement from the national team with immediate effect.â€
On March 23, Oliech wrote to Football Kenya Federation (FKF), complaining that EABL had used his image on billboards without his consent.
Oliech’s resignation has put Kenya’s Sports Minister Dr. Paul Otuoma in hot soup as he was barred from conducting any business in the country’s Parliament until he responds to the decision by the skipper to quit the team.
Temporarily, speaker Gitobu Imanyara gave the orders after Otuoma failed to show up to respond to a question on the matter by Eldoret South MP Peris Simam, according to www.supersport.com
“In accordance to the standing orders, the minister will not be permitted to transact any further business in this House until he has given a satisfactory explanation to the speaker and the speaker has accepted it,†Imanyara stated in his ruling as he deferred the question.
So far, interventions by KFF and Fifa have failed to resolve the issue that leaves Kenya sweating about embarking in their World Cup and 2013 Nations Cup qualifiers without their leading scorer.
Kenya head coach Francis Kimanzi is still hoping for Oliech’s change of heart. The Stars must be scared of the Flames who beat them in 2010 and 2011 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup group games in Tanzania.
