How Amrouche’s ill-temper earned him Caf suspension
PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO Harambee Stars coach Adel Amrouche gives instructions to players from the touch-line during a past match.
What you need to know:
- The 46-year-old Belgian began his stint on a rather sound note, guiding Stars to a respectable 1-1 draw against the mighty Super Eagles of Nigeria in Calabar on March 24 last year in a World Cup qualifier.
- In its ruling, CAF disciplinary board found Amrouche to have breached article 129 (c) of its rules which provides for a 12-month ban to anyone spitting on a match official.
Ever since his unveiling as Harambee Stars coach on February 20 2013, Adel Amrouche has not kept from trouble.
The 46-year-old Belgian began his stint on a rather sound note, guiding Stars to a respectable 1-1 draw against the mighty Super Eagles of Nigeria in Calabar on March 24 last year in a World Cup qualifier.
For his Calabar heroics, expectations were high that the former DC Motema Pembe and Burundi national team coach would eventually quench Kenya’s thirst for football glory.
Sadly, his erratic temper would stand in the way. A fierce spat with match officials in Calabar earned him a red card and a subsequent one match ban.
He’d to follow June’s return leg match from the stands in Nairobi where Stars fell 0-1. This loss all but ended Kenya’s Brazil 2014 hopes. Amrouche’s employers defended him accusing the match officials of being cruel to the coach.
SECOND SUSPENSION
Then came May 31 in Comoros and Amrouche was at it again. This time, he harangued the fourth official and assistant referee after the central referee awarded the hosts a free kick in the final minutes of the game.
It took a combined force of skipper Victor Wanyama, Technical director Jacob 'Ghost' Mulee, and deputy coach Ken Odhiambo to pull Amrouche away from the match officials. His dissent he earned him another red card. The Confederation of African Football (Caf) also slapped him with a two-match ban. He’d to follow Sunday’s African Cup of Nations second round tie against Lesotho in Maseru from the stands where Kenya lost 1-0.
But even before Amrouche could serve the ban, CAF suspended him for a year, for being guilty of spitting on a reserve referee during the match.
In its ruling, CAF disciplinary board found Amrouche to have breached article 129 (c) of its rules which provides for a 12-month ban to anyone spitting on a match official.
“The suspension is effective from first day of notification namely July 20, 2014,” Caf said in al communique signed by the board’s Secretary General Hicham El Amrani.
