Why Put quit Stars top job: Belgian coach quits Kenya hardly three months into coaching role

CECAFA SENIOR CHALLENGE CUP 2017- MACHAKOS Kenya Coach Paul Put during CECAFA senior challenge cup 2017 against Libya at Kenyatta Stadium,Machakos on Tuesday 05/11/17[Boniface Okendo,Standard]

Lack of a chance to meet President Uhuru, pursuit of greener pastures ends the former Burkina Faso coach’s stay in Kenya.

Harambee Stars coach Paul Put has resigned hardly two months after being appointed.

Though Football Kenya Federation (FKF) said the coach had resigned due to personal reasons, other sources claimed that he may have quit to pursue greener pastures and more pay.

Put, the sources said, may be headed to Mali or Guinea, where he has been promised more than the Sh1.5 million a month he was earning as Stars coach.

He quit hardly two weeks after the Government released Sh3 million to pay his two months’ salary after SportPesa withdrew its sponsorship to the federation. The betting firm also paid part of Put’s salary.

The federation said in its statement: “Football Kenya Federation wishes to inform the general public that Paul Put has officially resigned as Harambee Stars head coach, citing personal reasons.

“The tactician’s resignation, though down to personal reasons, is a setback to the country’s ongoing 2019 AFCON qualifiers as he was an integral member of the technical bench.

“We have already begun the process of finding a suitable replacement to fill the position, with Stanley Okumbi taking charge of the national team in the interim period.”

But our sources said that apart from finding a new job, the former Burkina Faso coach wanted a salary increment. Standard Sports also learnt that Put felt there was lack of commitment from the Government to support the team.

“Put has found a new offer where he will be earning more money and this has been a bone of contention between him and the federation as he has always felt he needed to be paid more,” said our source.

The Belgian was also not happy that he had not had an opportunity to meet with President Uhuru Kenyatta and he viewed this as lack of commitment from the Government to support the team.

“In West Africa, where he worked for a long time, he always had a personal relationship with the country’s head of state, whom he could use to find his way on certain matters.

“Coming to Kenya, he has always wanted to meet Uhuru Kenyatta and was unhappy that it did not materialise.”

Put recently indicated his desire to work with a foreign technical bench ahead of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, where Kenya plays Ghana in September.

Put replaced Okumbi in December last year and went on to win the regional Senior Challenge Cup, winning him admiration from local fans.