Spier takes over Under-17 side in sweeping changes

Newly appointed Harambee Stars Technical Director, Andreas Spier has taken over as head coach of the national Under-17 side.

Spier was unveiled in Nairobi a fortnight ago with a clear cut portfolio of being the Technical Director of the national teams, but if changes effected by the Football Kenya Federation are anything to go by, it may point to what insiders term as “step-by-step grooming exercise” before he takes over the management of Harambee Stars.

(READ: FKF name German Andreas Spier as new Technical Director)

A source at Kandanda House told Daily Nation Sport on Wednesday that Spier, whose previous work station was with Rwandese side APR, has been tasked with coaching the junior side while Michael Nam will deputsie him. Sunil Shah, meanwhile, takes over as the new goalkeeping coach.

The fate of the youthful John Kamau and Leonard Odipo, who worked with the team as head and assistant coaches respectively, remains unclear.

“Yes, it’s true he (Spier) has been mandated to coach the Under-17 with immediate effect,” the source said.

Contacted, FKF president Nick Mwendwa said that “there are no changes” as Spier is just taking on his duties.

“He’s just taking his role, nothing changes. When you give someone a job, you have to let him take over his duties. This is because we want the development of the youth teams to be done in a certain way. So, to me, there are no changes,” Mwendwa said. “Kamau and Odipo have not been chased away, they are going for training.”

During his unveiling, Spier said that his immediate goal would be the recruitment of the Under-13 and Under- 5 teams as well as conducting sub-branch championships for both boys and girls.

However, in local football quarters, bookmakers believe that the ground is being prepared for the German to eventually take charge at Harambee Stars dug-out in the long run.

Opinion remains sharply divided on the choice of youthful former Mathare United tactician, Stanley Okumbi as head coach with critics maintaining that he was not the best pick for the job.

However, Mwendwa rubbished these assertions: “Our problem is not with Harambee Stars but the product we deliver in the long run. There are no changes that will be made to the senior team.”

Under Okumbi’s watch, Stars slim chances of gracing next year’s African Cup of Nation showpiece in Gabon went up in smoke in the wake of back-to-back defeats to minnows Guinea Bissau.

They flattered to deceive beating Congo’s Red Devils 2-1 at Kasarani Stadium last month in a dead rubber match and it remains to be seen whether the federation will elevate the German or stick by Okumbi.

Meanwhile, the Under-17 has landed an invite to participate in the Cosafa Championship to be held in Mauritius from July 21. The team is set to jet out on July 19.