Wazito FC have unveiled the immediate former Harambee Stars coach Francis Kimanzi, to take over the team, following the dismissal of coach Fred Ambani.
Kimanzi will be assisted by John Kamau who is not new to Wazito, having assisted when in its earlier years.
Kimanzi is a seasoned tactician, having expended his exploits at Mathare United, Tusker and Sofapaka FC. On his part, John Kamau has been the Harambee Stars Under 20 coach and also spells at Posta Rangers, Thika United, KCB and FC Talanta.
“We shall pull together our efforts as a technical bench because we have a mission to achieve. We have to take Wazito to where it deserves to be as we aim to meet our target of making it be another force in the fight for the league title,” said Kimanzi.
The move is meant to solidify the technical bench that has seen several coaches being dismissed, leading to a lack of consistency in the playing field.
Kimanzi and his team have been appointed on a two-year contract and it is hoped the club owner, Ricardo Badoer will be patient with the technical bench.
Francis Kimanzi is no push-over and this will run counter to the approach that Sporting Director Steve Ochiel has been having in the team, causing tensions with firings of players and instigating those of the technical bench.
The Sporting Director first tried to convince John Kamau to sign through his agency, before the new assistant coach got wiser to seek guidance and was informed that this does not happen. By signing through the agency, salaries would be released to the agency, as they would be in charge of their welfare, a move that puts staff and players on a loyalty tussle.
What informed coach Ambani’s firing, which he instigated is his refusal to play players recently signed, as he also acts as their agents, but who are of poor quality in the recent friendly matches.
Ochiel will find it difficult to work with Kimanzi because he also cannot be pushed or dictated to on who plays and who does not, something that could jeopardize his plans. Since the new players were signed on six months contracts that expire in December this year, they have very few weeks to impress the new technical bench, otherwise, their contracts will not be renewed.
The club moved to give players shorter contracts to avoid litigation and complaints when they are released before the end of their contracts.
Samuel Koko who was also at Mathare United will be in charge of the goalkeeping department.
The club has also recalled sports Scientist, Sylvia Kariuki, who will now be in charge of the players’ monitoring.
In the last one year, Wazito has hired and fired Fred Ambani, British coach Stewart Hall, Harambee Stars Under-20 coach Stanley Okumbi, Frank Ouna, Hamisi Abdalla and Egyptian- American Melis Medo.
