FKF: Stars to have foreign coach

• Chairman Nyamweya promises Kimanzi’s successor in a fortnight

National football team Harambee Stars will have a new foreign coach in a fortnight.

Football Kenya Federation chairman Sam Nyamweya on Friday said systems were under way to ensure the vacuum left by Francis Kimanzi, now serving at the technical bench, is filled.

“For our football lovers, let me promise that a new national team foreign coach will take over in two weeks’ time. We have received a number of applications and working on them and we will announce it. I believe we will come up with one,” Nyamweya said.

Nyamweya spoke when he laid the foundation stone for the Sh21 million Africa Sports and Talent Empowerment Programme (Astep) resource centre. The community-based organisation, Astep, which runs football activities, brings together local football clubs in the North Rift.

In what appeared as a direct response to the woes facing his deputy, Sam Shollei, the FKF boss asked the federation officials to stick to the constitution: “We have to act on our constitution and uphold it.”

Nyamweya paid glowing tribute to the close working relationship between the CBO and a Dutch institution Hogeschool van Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.

A group of Dutch students at the function, in the country under Sports Management and Business Students programme, will help local clubs manage their teams.

Nyamweya was accompanied by vice chairman Robert Asembo, Rift Valley FKF representative Doris Petra, North Rift chairman Joseph Kiptash and Uasin Gishu’s Jared Nambaka.

Rob Conradi, the Dutch team leader, said it was the study that develops a sporting programme by introducing new skills in the sport.

“Through such a working relationship, we can even introduce new sports to these talented youths,” said Conradi, a lecturer of martial arts, management skills and coaching at the Amsterdam-based university.

Timothy Lusaka, the Astep founder and programme manager, said the completion of the centre will ease  collaboration with football clubs and sports organisations in order to tap into an existing network of clubs, volunteers and communication channels, providing a medium to engage large numbers quickly. “This is a window of opportunity.”