AFC Leopards suspend coach Zapata
What you need to know:
- His tactics and fielding of players have also been questioned.
- Incidentally, Leopards Secretary General Oscar Igaida on Friday evening also released a statement indicating the technical bench had failed to meet their targets this season.
- He also conceded the players are owed match winning bonuses which Nation Sport has learnt amounts to Sh700,000.
Embattled AFC Leopards coach Rodolfo Zapata has been suspended, Nation Sport understands.
According to multiple sources within the club, a senior official was Friday evening tasked by the management with serving the coach with a letter ordering him to proceed on 'administrative leave' for the remainder of the season.
The Argentine trainer is thus not expected to be on the touchline during Ingwe's final two league matches this season against Ulinzi Stars on Sunday and Nzoia Sugar on October 7, with assistant coach Tom Juma and team manager Gilbert Selebwa taking temporary charge.
The coach's woes are linked to the club's recent poor run, and specifically the 1-0 loss to Sofapaka in the semis of the FKF SportPesa Shield, plus Wednesday's 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Tusker in a league assignment.
Formerly at Gaborone United, Zapata is also said to have fallen out with Juma and Selebwa.
His tactics and fielding of players have also been questioned.
Incidentally, Leopards Secretary General Oscar Igaida on Friday evening also released a statement indicating the technical bench had failed to meet their targets this season.
He also conceded the players are owed match winning bonuses which Nation Sport has learnt amounts to Sh700,000.
"I would like to state herein that at the beginning of the season we set targets to the head coach and admit that we failed to achieve the same," said Igaida.
The targets, which were not accomplished include, winning the FKF SportPesa Shield, finishing in the top two positions in the SportPesa Premier League and making it to the group stage of the Caf Confederation Cup.
The club is currently ranked 4th on the 18-team top flight league.
Zapata, who arrived from Gaborone United and signed a two-year contract last June, is the club's third coach this year, following in the footsteps of Robert Matano and Tanzanian Dennis Kitambi.
