Fired Matano hits back at AFC Leopards officials

Immediate former AFC Leopards coach Robert Matano has hit back at the club officials after he was informed of his sacking on Thursday.

Leopards fired Matano in a development that sparked an ugly spat between the veteran trainer and club officials.

Speaking to Nation Sport, the veteran trainer accused the club officials of failing to meet his demands.

"They are saying I did not perform and yet I asked the chairman to sign Masoud (Juma), Kepha (Aswani) and Timothy (Otieno) at the start of this season. He claimed these players were very expensive," said Matano.

"We never prepared well for the season. Motivation is at an all time low, players have not been paid their allowances since last season."

Club secretary Oscar Igaida accused Matano of "high-handedness, disrespecting the management and failing to achieve initial targets set out at the start of this season."

Igaida also confirmed assistant coach Dennis Kitambi, who has led the club to three successive wins since taking over from the suspended Matano two weeks ago, has been installed as the interim coach.

"He (Matano) promised to ensure the team qualifies for the group stages of the Caf Confederation Cup. He also made sensitive decisions without consulting his colleagues on the technical bench, and was so tough that the players feared him," said Igaida.

Matano has been in charge since last July and led the club to triumph in the domestic cup last November.

He is the fifth coach to manage the club in the past two seasons, after Stewart Hall, Dorian Marin, Tom Juma and Ivan Minnaert.