AFC Leopards sets new record after firing 14 coaches in five years!

AFC Leopards Coach Hendrik Pieter de Jongh during their KPL match against City Stars at Nyayo National Stadium PHOTO: BONIFACE OKENDO

The den is quickly becoming uninhabitable for both coaches and players.

And as the Leopard makes attempts to secure its habitat, it has set an ominous record in the firing of coaches locally.

Granted coaching soccer for a team with impatient fans is not for the fainthearted, but the all too familiar firing spree at the AFC Leopards’ camp is now frightening.

The sacking of Dutchman Hendrik Pieter de Jongh on December 28 made him the 14th coach to leave the club since 2009. Yes, 14 coaches in five years!

De Jongh was sacked during a Special General Meeting of the club.

His firing came as a surprise as it was not even on the agenda.

His departure however seems to have been incited by the rank and file at the club seemingly agitated by the poor performance of the club in 2014. They seemed to demand that the entire technical bench be sent home.

De Jongh who failed to win any trophy for Leopards in 2014 follows in the footsteps of a number of coaches, both foreign and local, who have been at the club.

The club leadership has been vicious in dealing with coaches and does not even appreciate those who have stood by it through thick and thin.

In 2009, the same year they were promoted to top flight football, the club sacked Gilbert Selebwa in mid-season after he helped the team to return to the top.

Selebwa’s departure saw the arrival of Edward Manoah who was with the club for only a few months before he was replaced by Nick Yakhama. Yakhama steered the team skillfully and made it survive relegation by a whisker that season.

But at the beginning of the 2010 season, Yakhama was shoved aside and his place taken by the late Chris Makoha who was well known for moulding young talent.

But his magic with the fabled Kakamega High School team, ‘Green Commandos’ seems to have taken a vacation prompting the club to show him the door.

The same year, Robert Matano, famously known as the ‘Lion’ Matano, arrived. He had just won the league with Sofapaka in 2009, making history by becoming the first club to win the title in their first year of promotion.

Matano did not fit in the den. He found himself in the cold in the same season and his place taken over by Belgian Robert Bollen.  Bollen remained in charge of the den only during the pre-season.

Robert Matano bounced back at the beginning of the 2011 season, but his slow start meant he could not stay. He had to pack and leave.

Nick Yakhama who had a short stint at the den in 2010, was allowed back in. However, his second stint was equally short.

That is when Dutchman Jan Koops was hired in the middle of the 2011 season.

Koops had a great run of results, managing 23 matches unbeaten. But when the club failed to win a single silverware by the end of that season, he was kicked out in 2013.

Tom Olaba was hired right after the Dutchman left. Olaba had one of the shortest coaching stints at the club, lasting only, four months, and passing the mantle to Luc Eymael.

Eymael came on board after caretaker coach Nicholas Muyoti had been in charge for two months.

Interestingly, the Belgian did not see the 2013 season finish after he was shown the door paving the way for former international James Nandwa.

A line of poor results however saw Nandwa sacked at the beginning of the 2014 season even after he won the GOtv shield as 2013 season folded.

His sudden departure saw former goalkeeper Washingtone Muhanji take the coaching task briefly before Pietier De Jongh came to the scene.

And now with De Jongh sacked, Leopards have already identified former Eritrea national team coach Dorian Marin as his replacement.

Marin has previously handled Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) and Feisal FC in the Ghanaian Premier League. No one can however predict just how long he will last at Leopards.

The surprising thing is that the high turnover of coaches has not helped to improve results at the club. Leopards have won only one major trophy since 2009.

Compare this to the fact that former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson was at the club for 26 years before stepping down last year.

In 26 years, the Scot won 38 trophies which include 13 league titles, two champions league trophies, five FA Cups and four League Cups.

Manchester United’s arch-rivals, Arsenal have had one manager Arsene Wenger since 1996 and despite a spate of poor results in recent times, the Frenchman continues to stay at the top.

Under Wenger, Arsenal have not won a trophy in eight years and it does not look like he is leaving anytime soon-results or no results.

Closer home, Simba of Tanzania are also the other club that has a high affinity for sacking coaches.

The club has had three coaches in the last two years. The club has not only had a high turnover of coaches but is also known for dropping players at will.