Former Ugandan coach agrees terms with Gor Mahia

Former Uganda national team, The Cranes, coach Bobby Williamson, who is being courted by Gor Mahia.  [PHOTO: FILE / STANDARD]

BY FEVERPITCH TEAM

Gor Mahia have agreed terms with former Uganda national football team, The Cranes, coach, Bobby Williamson.

This follows successful negotiations between the flamboyant Kenyan Premier League side and  Williamson on Thursday. He is expected to be unveiled in Mombasa this weekend. Gor play Bandari in a KPL match at Mbaraki, Mombasa on Sunday. John Bobby Ogolla has been acting coach since the sudden departure of controversial Croat, Zdravko Logarusic last month.

Club chairman Ambrose Rachier confirmed on Friday the deal was successful. “I can confirm the deal is on,” said Rachier, without going into details.

Williamson jetted into Nairobi at 9am on Thursday and was immediately ushered into talks with Gor officials.

Williamson is from Scotland and was recently sacked as Uganda Cranes coach after a fairly successful six-years stint.

During that time, he won the regional East and Central Africa Senior Challenge Cup a record four times. However, while he dominated in the region, he failed to take Uganda to the Africa Cup of Nations finals and the World Cup, something that displeased his employers.

The best Williamson did with Uganda Cranes is taking them to the Africa Nations Championships (CHAN) held in Sudan four years ago.

Foreign coaches

Williamson is one of the foreign coaches who had expressed interest in taking up the hot seat at Gor Mahia.

Gor Mahia Secretary General George Bwana told the media on Wednesday that the Scot had communicated with them over his desire to take up the role.

Others who also want to handle the club are Damilo Doncic, Momcilo Medic and Zoran Pefic all from Serbia.  Irelands Amrore Oghenerwede Zion and Englishman Dave Booth also want to take up the job.

Bwana, however, denied they had approached another Ugandan Sam Sssimbwa to take up the post.

Sssimbwa claimed on Monday that the Kenyan club had approached him and he declined the offer since he has another job in Rwanda where he handles Police.

The club was in a fix after Logarusic quit in a huff after taking a one-week holiday.

Logarusic, who had been expected to arrive back in Nairobi two weeks ago, instead issued conditions to the club hierarchy demanding that he be given a written contract as well as a return ticket to Croatia incase the club fires him mid-season.

After Logarusic was fired, club legend Ogolla was appointed to take up the position on an interim basis, but recently there has been pressure to appoint a foreign coach in the wake of two draws in their KPL matches.

Williamson is not new to Kenyan football, having played against Harambee Stars on more than one occasion while at his former job.

He has always expressed great admiration for Kenyan players and now he has an opportunity to work with them.