Leopards’ woes run deeper than just the coach
What you need to know:
- The editorial in the Saturday Nation raised concern at the rate Kenyan clubs were sacking their coaches whenever results are not going their way.
- I am also convinced that the problems at Ingwe run much deeper than just Minnaert.
- The constant traveling to and from Mumias to honour matches obviously played a part in the team’s poor performance.
There are those who have an issue with the new management of AFC Leopards over its decision to terminate the contract of head coach Ivan Minnaert.
While I was not entirely surprised by the decision given Ingwe’s latest string of embarrassing results, I did not expect that the decision could attract editorial treatment by the largest media house in East and Central Africa.
The editorial in the Saturday Nation raised concern at the rate Kenyan clubs were sacking their coaches whenever results are not going their way.
“Leopards’ management ran out of patience with Minnaert, who has lost more than 50 per cent of the team’s competitive games,” read the editorial. True.
“Needless to say, coaches are judged by the trophies they guide their teams to win, but simply sacking them after a season of poor results is narrow- minded because it ignores other serious and deep rooted problems which contribute to poor performance,” it further read. Also true.
What I disagree with is the notion that tribal politics are at the heart of Ingwe’s problems. That Ingwe needs a coach who will transcend the inter-tribal politics. Nothing can be further from the truth.
For one, the argument presupposes, and wrongly so, that Ingwe exclusively comprises players from one community, Luhyia, and that Minnaert failed to transcend the sub-clan politics within the playing unit, leading to the dismal show. Far from it.
Whereas I agree to a large extent that the latest results warranted drastic action from the Ingwe leadership, I am also convinced that the problems at Ingwe run much deeper than just Minnaert.
LOST THE DRESSING ROOM
I am not an Ingwe player nor official, but murmurs that Minnaert had lost the dressing room or was about to are too loud for any concerned Ingwe fan to ignore.
World over, a coach writes his obituary the moment he loses the dressing room.
Yet we must agree that the loss of dressing room aside, the management must also take a chunk of the blame for the string of poor results.
The constant traveling to and from Mumias to honour matches obviously played a part in the team’s poor performance.
You do not travel to Mumias by road on a Thursday, labour to overturn a two goal deficit and defeat Ushuru 3-2 on Saturday, immediately take to the road to return to Nairobi for a Sunday night flight to Tanzania and expect to win.
You then suffer a humiliating four-goal defeat in Dar, jump into a plane for the return journey them embark on another road trip to Mumias to face Kakamega Homeboyz. Little wonder we lost.
And with one of the most lucrative sponsorship deals in Kenya, the Ingwe management owes members and fans an explanation as to why match and training allowances are issues at Ingwe. What happens to gate collections?
Everybody must play their part in arresting the problems at Ingwe – management, players, technical bench and fans.
