AMROUCHE FOR LEOPARDS? Sources also say Eymael contacted, but turns down his former club

Harambee Stars coach Adel Amrouche during their Cup of Nation Qualifier match against Comoros at Nyayo stadium, Nairobi on 18-05-2015.PHOTO/DENNIS OKEYO

Could former Harambee Stars coach Adel Amrouche be on his way back to Kenya, albeit to the Kenyan Premier League giants AFC Leopards?

Feverpitch has learnt that Amrouche is among the foreign coaches who could be in line to replace Ivan Minnaert after the Belgian was fired on Thursday due to poor performance.

This comes barely two days after the tenth-placed AFC appointed Ezekiel Akwana as caretaker for the rest of the season.

Amrouche, who led the national team to their sixth Cecafa Senior Challenge title in December 2013, was sent packing by the Sam Nyamweya-led Football Kenya Federation in 2014.

This was after the Confederation of African Football failed to lift a ban imposed on him for alleged unsporting conduct during an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match in Comoros.

Leopards have also reportedly reached out to their former coach Luc Eymael ,who is currently at Premier League Soccer side Polokwane City in South Africa.

However, when contacted, the club’s chairman Dan Mule dismissed the reports saying that the earliest the National Executive Committee would appoint a new coach is in November.

“It is still too early to start talking about Minnaert’s successor. I think in Akwana we have an able caretaker coach and he has what it takes to lead the team until the end of the season,” said Mule.

“Remember, Minnaert is also planning to sue us, so we cannot appoint a new coach with a court case ahead of us. We have to finish with Minnaert first before thinking about another appointment.

“At the moment, expect many rumours about the coaching job. And yes, I’ve received many calls from both local and foreign coaches inquiring about the job.

“But I am not aware of Amrouche or Eymael’s interest and whether they have been approached by any official.

“We’ve not held any talks with either Amrouche or Eymael and the earliest we can appoint a new coach is in November.”