Former Harambee Stars striker Dennis Oliech has threatened to sue the Star newspaper for defamation over a story it published today. In a statement, the former Kenya international, speaking through his brother and local manager, Nixon Oliech, also denied reports to the effect that he had quit active football.
The feature story in the Star’s March 17th centre spread in its relaunch edition detailed the financial woes that the player is allegedly facing at the moment. It reported that the 32 year-old striker whose lavish lifestyle made him the talk of town, is today living a very different life. Financial problems seem to be his biggest ailment with Kenyans referring to him as a ‘no body’.
The Star further reported that the former star is currently staying in a three bedroom rental apartment in Highland Garden on Kileleshwa’s Siaya Road with his “spanner boys”. He has been spotted of late making several trips to a popular bar along Lang’ata Rd where he is always seen sipping on 18-year-old whiskies in the company of ratchet football groupies. An annoymous source hints that the money for booze comes from his new ‘gold business’ which is not doing too bad.
Oliech, who spent the better part of his professional career playing for clubs in the French Ligue 1, however, claimed that he rejected two “solid” offers from European based clubs last January, in favour of a lucrative endorsement deal from a local company. The deal, according to Oliech, however, has a clause compelling him not to actively play football.
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“The official position is that after Dennis Oliech’s stint in Dubai last season, he came back to Kenya and received solid offers from clubs in Europe,” Nixon said in the statement. “However, one big company that recently set up base in Kenya also gave him a mouthwatering offer to be their ambassador and one of their requirements was he should not be playing active football.”
Sinking into oblivion?
According to Nairobi News the company in question is a betting company and the deal is estimated to be worth Sh5-10 million shillings.
The Star reported that Oliech, popularly referred to as Wuod Mary (Mary’s son), is slowly sinking into oblivion. He started off with a move to France in 2003 joining French Ligue 1 club, FC Nantes after a brief stay in Qatar. Unfortunately the club was relegated and Oliech later joined Auxerre.
The struggling team did not sit well with the striker who proceeded to move to AC Ajaccio. Lady luck was not on his side as the club was also relegated. Life was becoming tough for him especially without a club to play for in Europe. Oliech moved to one of UAE’s oldest clubs, Al Nasr SC in 2015 where according to a source within the family, “he barely lasted six months.”
As of now dennis oliech is broke without any longterm investment jaluo na raha is always seen idle with ‘mogoka’youths along dagoreti streets and thatz naked truth.