They were the first team in the history of the Kenyan premier league to win the national tiles four times in a row.
Bu that was from 1995 to 1998. It was after Posta dubbed "the Athletic Mailmen" had literally ran away with the first three crowns in a row between 1992 and 1994. Ulinzi then broke that record making it five (2002- 2006) before sadly folding a few years latter.
Today Co-op Bank is a team on the racks. They are on the back pedal. A team that curved its rivals open like a christmas chicken winning with such ease and class while displaying admirable basketball has now found it very difficult to win games.
Out of the six games they have played so far, they have three wins and three loses and are lying third on 11 points behind leaders and reigning champions KCB Lions and surprise package International Christian Center (ICC).
They have succumbed to Lions 60-59, gone down hard to Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) 68-44 and last week's sad 78-72 loss to a battling ICC prompted the fans to start asking some very hard questions.
Co-op are barely struggling to win matches. They scraping out a undeserved 56-55 win over University of Nairobi "Terrorists" another close shave saw them pip unlucky Strathmore University "Blades" 70-69. Their big win is only against Lomboritz- a team making their premier league debut.
It was evident from their show against ICC, a collection of some really fine players that continues to send shock waves around but with a suspect technical bench, that Co-op have a huge problem that must be addressed sooner rather than latter.
So what is happening at Co-op Bank ? Is this giant that has represented the country at the regional and continental level with some fine tacticians in Osman Ali, George Ogolla and Thomas Olumbo is gradually sliding down the abyss ?
On the roster that day against ICC were - Ben Mufutu, Richard Osano, Moses Kamau, Eugene Genga, George Kamau, Roy Kahure, Bobby Okwako, Dan Gaiko, Abel Kimondo, Patrick Odhiambo, Allan Ouma and Horace Odhiambo.
If you ask me, I would tell you that more than half that team can walk into any Kenya national side and command even a first team placing. This is a strong enough personnel to take on and beat any team in the land leave alone in the region!
But as Co-op continues to play meek- like a lamb being taken to the slaughter- no purpose, no urgency, nothing. Just there which is a sad spectacle indeed and begs question as to which direction the local basketball is headed.
As the team continues to falter again and again raising a concern, the questions therefor is- is the Co-op empire collapsing ? Why has this top gun that has ruled here and beyond now those past years, become such a cropper ?
Carey "T9" Oketch and Bogonko Bosire are the two gentlemen in charge of the technical bench. After that ICC loss, I approached the duo as they were standing close to the team changing room for a comment posing this question.
"What is happening at Co-op Bank, Why is winning so difficult these days ? But before they gave any answers they too threw three one question my way. "What do you think is the problem yourself" ?
"We are doing our best as coaches train the team, prepare them adequately for weekend matches and have absolutely no idea why the team is not performing well." They concur ,distraught as the journalist himself.
As Oketch and Bosire wonder what the problem is, may I remind them that their team together with four others namely KCB, KPA men and women, Eagle Wings and another yet to be named, will in a few days be headed to Kampala, Uganda for the Zone Five club show.
The way they are performing has left many of their fans wondering. Its almost predictable they will do not well in that tournament leave alone at the local league. But then again, they just can rise to the occasion and shock the pundits.
With only six games played and still a lot of ground to be covered, will Co-op a team that have been runners up many a years, rise up and be counted ? We can only remain hoping that worst is behind them and that soon the real team will show up!
Dann OWERRE
FIBA Africa