Briton to take over at AFC

AFC Leopards will unveil Briton Trevor Morgan as head coach on Tuesday.

Morgan, who will be unveiled before Ingwe’s match against KCB in the KPL Top Eight semi-finals, on Monday watched the team train at Kenya Technical Teachers Training College in Nairobi’s Gigiri.

Leopards secretary-general, George Aladwa, said the club management settled on Morgan after a long intensive search.

“This time we have settled on Morgan as a long-term professional coach,” Aladwa said Monday.

Morgan, who has coached several teams in France, India and Australia, has taken over from James Nandwa who was sacked last month.

As a player, Trevor, 57, played as a centre-forward.

FIRST COACHING ROLE

His first coaching role was as an assistant to Terry Cooper at English Championship side Birmingham City.

Playing under assistant coach Abdalla Juma on Saturday, Leopards broke their 16-year jinx against Tusker FC, beating the brewers 1-0 in their Kenyan Premier League match in Machakos on Saturday.

Club chairman, Allan Kasavuli praised the team’s fans in Machakos, led by Engineer Maurice Alwanga, for turning out to support the team. Embakasi branch chairman, Dan Muli Antony urged the club to take more matches to Machakos.

The weekend’s matches also saw Gor Mahia beat Sony Sugar 1-0 at Afraha Stadium as league debutants KRA also beat Mathare United to rise to third on the log on 20 points, just three shy of leaders Gor Mahia  and one adrift of second placed Chemelil Sugar.

Being a team that is determined to win at whatever cost, their true football philosophy was best manifested on Sunday evening at the Nyayo National Stadium, where they stood tall against a barrage of attacks from a hungry Mathare United side to win 1-0 and bag the three prized points.

DISCIPLINE AND DETERMINATION

More importantly, the Ken Kenyatta-coached side have showcased discipline and determination in their matches which has been pivotal in picking wins against some of the big teams - a highlight of which was a morale-boosting 1-0 win over last season’s runners-up and Domestic cup holders AFC Leopards on April 9.

Their impressive run is a stark contrast to the dismal performance that has become synonymous with clubs that get promotion to the league’s highest division and go under after just one term.

In 2011, both Congo United and Bandari fell to the relegation axe at the end of campaign and last term, Kakamega Homeboyz suffered the same ignominy. A bullish Kenyatta, however, believes that his boys will stem the tide.

“When we joined the league our aims was to remain here and we will do everything to guarantee our survival” he said.

Custodian Kevin Otieno, whose  good reflexes earned him man of the match award in the Sunday win attributes the good run to the drive in the team and the desire to secure a top five finish.

“We owe it to the coach who has been outstanding. He has been inspirational and is keen to get the best out of us," Otieno said.

GOR ROLL
“I am looking towards having a good first leg before we plot for the second leg,” said the custodian, who spent the entire 2011 on the sideline with a horrendous leg fracture.

Otieno, who previously plied his trade with Nairobi City Stars and later Mahakama before joining the tax men in January, also singled out his former team mates at the national division one side for aiding his return to form.

“My former team mates gave me a lot of courage and support without which I could not have been back to the league competition” he said “It’s too early to talk about title ambitions, but no one should underrate us”

Meanwhile despite their financial woes, champions Gor continue to roll. On Sunday they held their nerves to beat Sony Sugar 1-0 at the Afraha stadium in Nakuru to reclaim the top spot on 23 points.

Gor had temporarily surrendered the lead to Chemelil Sugar on Saturday after the  sugar millers overcame Thika United 1-0 at home but a Dan Sserunkuma inspired win at Afraha hauled the champions back at the apex of the log.

Chemelil remains the only unbeaten team since the season began.