Will returning Arnold Origi improve Harambee Stars?

The shot-stopper has returned to national team squad for the first time after five-years but will his presence propel the side?

When Arnold Origi quit playing for Kenya five years ago, football lovers were left with more questions than answers.

Amid reports the experienced goalkeeper had fallen out with then Harambee Stars coach Stanley Okumbi at the time, it also emerged that Origi, an elder cousin of Premier League champions Liverpool forward Divock, had opted to chase Norwegian citizenship.

This he would confirm later in an interview, claiming that a Norwegian passport would ultimately be of more benefit to him, and other Kenyans.

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“I was looking past my playing career,” Origi told Standard Sports, “[and] what the Norwegian passport offers.

“Personally, having a European passport puts you on the market and makes you available and accessible to people from different markets, who could not access you when you only had a Kenyan passport.

“That was really important for me. If you have to develop then you have to be accessible to different kinds of markets. If you want to achieve your dreams as a football player – It was time for me to put myself in that market to be accessible.”

Origi is now back in the fold after coach Francis Kimanzi handed him a call-up ahead of Kenya’s international friendly at home to Zambia on October 10.

Kimanzi instead, overlooked Patrick Matasi, who has been the team’s number one for the past three years alongside his second-choice Farouk Shikhalo, drafting Origi to the squad alongside Ian Otieno of Zesco United and ‘Timothy Odhiambo of Ulinzi Stars.

His return marks almost five years since he last turned out for Kenya in 1-0 defeat at home to Guinea-Bissau on March 27, 2016.

Origi, who lives in Norway but turns out for HIFK Fotboll in Finland, was Kenya’s goalkeeper for close to four years after he took over the mantle from Francis Onyiso and made his debut against Ghana in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in 2005.

He’s arguably is the best goalkeeper of his generation and, when fit, has commanded the number one jersey for almost six years.

Within that period, several other goalkeepers emerged including Willis Ochieng, David Okello, Noah Ayuko, Wilson Oburu, Boniface Odhiambo, Duncan Ochieng, Jerim Onyango, and Lawrence Webo, but none managed to keep consistency and form.

Did Kimanzi err in recalling Origi?

Former Gor Mahia custodian Mike Kisaghi believes Kimanzi requires Origi’s experience.

“I don’t see anything wrong with it,” Kisaghi told Goal. “I have been following his matches in Finland and I can testify that Origi is still a good keeper and will help Kenya to go places.

“It is healthy for all those who have been called up, they are all good for you don’t get called up if you aren’t. Competition is good in all positions, and yes it makes you better and it is good to have Origi back.”

Asked whether keeper Matasi and the rest should be worried now that Origi is back in the squad, Kisaghi told Goal: “Why? It should not be the case, he [Matasi] should continue working hard as he has been, which made him number one.

“It should not be a guarantee that Origi is coming back straight as number one, he should also fight it out by working hard. As I said it will make all three of them better and so improve the goalkeeping department.”

His sentiments are echoed by ex-Gor Mahia official Omondi Aduda, who feels the return of Origi was long overdue.

“We missed an experienced keeper during the 2019 Afcon in Egypt, we missed a vocal keeper who can command his players well and make saves when called upon and that was Origi,” Aduda told Goal. “I don’t want to say [Matasi] is not good enough and he never helped the team.

“No, I only want to say that with the experience of Origi, Kenya could have performed much better than they did in Egypt.”

In Cairo, Matasi managed to save a penalty converted by Africa player of the year and Liverpool star Sadio Mane, when Kenya played against Senegal, but he has now been sacrificed with the return of Origi, who boasts of 33 caps.

There is also a feeling that the former Tusker and AFC Leopards custodian who currently plies his trade with Ethiopia giants St. George, fell out with Kimanzi after fumbling in Stars’ 1-1 draw against Egypt, during their first Group G qualifier in Cairo.

What’s more, Matasi has not played competitively since March when the Ethiopian league was halted when the first case of the coronavirus pandemic was reported in the country.

Does the return of Origi improve the Stars?

The return of the player, who also played for Mathare United and Tusker in the Kenyan Premier League before moving to Norway where he started his career with Moss FK, will greatly boost Harambee Stars. Kenya have struggled to have a stable keeper since he hung up his gloves.

Kenya’s last coaches before Kimanzi, Paul Put, and Sebastien Migne had tried to work around Matasi, Shikhalo, and sometimes rookie Brian Bwire between the sticks, but it never worked, as the team conceded easy goals in international matches.

However, Origi, who is currently on top of his game, enjoyed a good run with the national team, a good example coming when he single-handedly denied neighbours Uganda a chance to qualify for the 2012 Afcon finals that were staged in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

Uganda went into the match needing a win of any kind to reach the final, but Origi pulled a man of the match performance to frustrate them and ensure honours were even at Namboole Stadium in Kampala, to deny the Cranes the ticket to the finals.

“Origi is the right keeper for the team and it is good coach Kimanzi has realized the same and opted to give him another chance,” ex-Gor Mahia defender Tobias Ocholla told Goal. “It is good to have him in the squad, he will also help the other keepers to learn and gain more experience from him.”

For his part, new Sofapaka keeper trainer John Waw believes Origi’s presence will help improve the team’s goalkeeping department.

“I am happy to see Origi back, Kenya needed to have him in the squad a long time ago when he said he was ready to return and play for the team,” Waw told Goal. “His presence will definitely push the other keepers to do well and they will also strive to learn from him which is going to be a plus to the team.”

At 36-year-old, Origi has a lot to offer the national team and all Kenyans should welcome him back to the squad with open arms. Keepers typically get better with age, so maybe the best is still to come from Origi.