The hunt is already on for Harambee Stars’ next coach with several well-known foreign figures already being mentioned as possible candidates.
Impeccable sources within Football Kenya Federation (FKF) indicated that two coaches, Nigerian Samson Siasia and Belgian Tom Saintfiet, were the front-runners to clinch the very hot seat that is coach of Harambee Stars.
“Both have sent their CVs and it will be up to the
federation to make their decision based on what plans they have for the
team,” the source said. The previous Harambee Stars coach Francis
Kimanzi was shown the door on Tuesday after a dismal show in the recent
World Cup and African Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Kenya were bundled out of the African qualifiers
while their World Cup march appears dead after managing just one point
from two matches to sink to the bottom of Group Six.
Bizarrely, after his dismal show Kimanzi was given
the post of FKF technical director that oversees many coaching functions
including co-ordinating national team coaches.
Siasa, 44, a former international striker, who won
the 1994 African Cup of Nations with the Super Eagles, also coached
Nigeria in 2010-2011.
He has also had stints with the Nigeria Under-20
and Under-23 sides over the past decade. Saintfiet, 39, has had
extensive experience in Africa having coached Ethiopia last year,
Zimbabwe in 2010 and Namibia between 2008 and 2010.
He had such a successful stint with the Brave Warriors during
this period that an infatuated Namibian press christened him “The
Saint.” He was appointed Nigeria Football Association technical director
in March this year only for his four-year contract to be terminated
this month.
African Champions
Current Rwanda coach Milutin “Micho” Sredojevic is also said to be in the sights of FKF.
The Serbian guided Rwanda to the final of the
Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup last year. But he is best remembered for
taking underdogs Al Hilal of Sudan to the semi-finals of the 2010
African Champions League.
The engaging 42-year–old Sredojevic, a regular
figure at Cecafa tournaments, has been known to boost that he knows the
psychology and condition of African players and can bring out the best
from them. Also being considered is former Burundi coach Adel Amrouche.
The Algerian, 44, resigned as coach of Burundi in
February ending a five-year rein. He has also coached Equatorial Guinea
and African club sides DC Motema Pembe.
The name of former Nigeria captain, Christian Chukwu, who had a stint at Stars, has also been floated.
The new Stars coach, when he is appointed, will
become Kenya’s seventh appointment in four years, eight if you include
John “Bobby” Ogolla’s one-match assignment to Egypt in January 2009.
Kenya’s next World Cup qualifier is on March 22
when the face Group Six leaders Nigeria away in an encounter that could
very likely seal their fate.
Before that will be a date with the Cecafa Senior
Challenge Cup scheduled for December in Kenya and in which Harambee
Stars have had a dismal record in recent years.
No comments:
Post a Comment