KFF now backs fired Kimanzi

• Stars’ squad for Cairo game report as delegation head turns down job

Confusion in the management of Harambee Stars deepened on Monday when Kenya Football Federation chairman Sam Nyamweya declared that Francis Kimanzi, sacked as the national football team’s coach by rival faction, Football Kenya Limited, is still on the team’s bench.

Meanwhile, a group of 14 players reported to the Harambee Stars’ camp at Kasarani under stand-in coach John “Bobby” Ogolla, picked by FKL to replace Kimanzi, ahead of their trip to Cairo for Friday’s international friendly against Africa champions Egypt.

But FKL official Gabriel Otiende, named to head the delegation to Cairo, turned down his appointment saying he had not been consulted by FKL before he was picked to lead the team.

Nyamweya, whose KFF is engaged in battle for control of Kenyan football with FKL, met with Kimanzi and Harambee Stars players whom he paid a Sh 10,000-per-player reward he had promised them for winning their Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup semi-final against Tanzania in Kampala recently.

Nyamweya said FKL should not drag Kimanzi into their turf wars as the coach had delivered.

“He has performed, why is he being sacrificed. Worldwide, it is the technical bench that organises the friendly matches not federation officials,” said Nyamweya.

“All Kimanzi did wrong was to refuse to take the team on useless friendly matches.”

Kimanzi was shown the door on Sunday for refusing to approve three friendly matches for the national team against Yemen, Egypt and a combined Madrid team in Spain.

Edgar “Fighter” Ochieng, who captained the Stars at the Challenge Cup, said the wrangled must be kept out of the national team.

“We should put back the fighting and focus on taking our football forward,” the Mathare United defender said.

Later on Monday, the government moved in to arrest the crisis when assistant sports minister Kabando wa Kabando convened a meeting with FKL officials but failed to disclose what decisions were made.

On principal

“The meeting discussed the recent sacking of national coach, Francis Kimanzi. The ministry would like to assure the football fraternity and Kenyans at large that this matter is being addressed and the outcome will be communicated in due course,” a statement signed by sports secretary Wilson Lang’at said.

Speaking from Awendo where he is also an official with Kenyan Premier League club Sony Sugar, Otiende said he had turned down his appointment to lead the team to Cairo “on principal.”

“I was not consulted as an official of FKL. I’m a member of the national executive council of FKL and since I was not in the picture, I wonder who met to make the decision to sack Kimanzi and name the new team of coaches,” Otiende said.

“Kimanzi has seen us grow with Harambee Stars and we should not fault him on his performance.”

The players in camp on Monday included Anthony Mathenge, Zablon Amanaka, Francis Chinjili, Abdullah Juma, Anthony Onyango, Joseph Mwangi, Jockins Atundo, Aggrey Ongoli, Sebastian Muchera, Augustine Etemesi, Crispine Olando, Sammy Onyango and Haji Mwachoki.