Calls for change on Stars’ bench after Togo loss

• Nyamweya says federation wants to inject young blood in national team and overhaul coaching unit

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) chairman Sam Nyamweya on Monday said he is awaiting a report from Harambee Stars’ coach Francis Kimanzi before taking action following the team’s exit from the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

And in a separate statement, Nyamweya’s deputy at FKF, Sammy Sholei, appeared to differ with his chairman, saying the federation is answerable for the poor performance.

Harambee Stars lost 1-0 to Togo in Lome last Sunday to bow out of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

“The technical director and chairman should also be questioned on the dismal performance of Harambee Stars. We cannot sit back and hope for the best when we are not doing our jobs diligently,” Sholei said.

“It is time that if we are serious about turning around the standards of soccer in this country that we get serious with every bit of football business at the federation’s national office, the standards obviously have fallen lower than before we were elected into the football office,” he added.

In his statement, Nyamweya said the federation had given Kimanzi several conditions.

“The head coach had requested an eight-week training programme...We as a Federation are awaiting the technical report by the head coach and our head of delegation regarding the two matches and in the mean time as the federation gears towards the forthcoming assignments, the World Cup qualifiers starting in March 2013 and the Cecafa Senior Challenge later this year, we are looking into issues of overhauling the entire technical bench and injecting more young blood in the playing unit.”