AFC Leopards officials turn heat on Yakhama

GILBERT WANDERA

 Pressure is mounting on AFC Leopards coach Nick Yakhama to quit the club or be forced out.

Two top officials of the club have asked him to resign within the next 24 hours on his own volition before the club takes action.

The ultimatum was issued by club Secretary General J.J Bukachi and assistant Treasurer Anthony Walela.

The ultimatum came on the back of a 3-1 loss to Sofapaka at Nyayo National Stadium on Wednesday.

Leopard’s executive committee summoned an urgent meeting Thursday afternoon after Wednesday’s loss and Bukachi said Yakhama has no choice but to go.

“We do not want to embarrass the coach by sacking him. He still has a future and therefore plead that he does the most honourable thing and leave,” said the official.

He added: “Failure to do that, we will be left with no choice, but to sack him because apparently he has failed to deliver.”

Bukachi claimed the coach had offered to resign if he did not win against Sofapaka on Wednesday and has challenged Yakhama to keep his word.

“He told the executive committee that he should be given only that match to prove himself failure to which he would throw in the towel. Now that he has failed he must go,” he claimed.

Bukachi said hiring Yakhama in the first place was a wrong move pushed by some officials of the executive committee.

“We ought to have hired a coach who was performing. By the time he joined Leopards, his former club, Chemelil Sugar, was not doing well in the league. Our fear was that he would transfer the losing mentality to Leopards, which has happened,” said Bukachi.

Bukachi said the club is already working on plans to hire a foreign coach once Yakhama steps down.

He said the club has only done well when being handled by a foreign coach and are keen on going back there.

Walela on his part asked the coach to leave and avoid being embarrassed. He confirmed that majority of the officials were not keen to bring the coach on board as they did not believe he would turn around the club.

Contacted Yakhama vowed to stay put insisting that only the chairman can ask him to leave.

Yakhama said the two officials asking him to resign have never supported him in the past.

“My letter of employment is signed by the club chairman who chairs the executive committee. I do not report to the two but to the entire committee,”

“Some of the people asking me to leave have never given me any support. It is not true that I promised to resign if we do not win against Sofapaka,”

“The truth is people should not have expected us to win on Wednesday against a team that has been together for four years. Results will take time to come,” he said.

AFC Leopards fielded five of their new signings but would not break down an organised Sofapaka.

Leopards have not won since beating Bandari 2-0 at Nyayo Stadium leaving them in a precarious position.