Kitambi wins coach of the month accolade

utFidelity Insurance Marketing and Business Development Manager Nicholas Malesi (left) hands over a trophy to outgoing AFC Leopards coach Dennis Kitambi after he won the Fidelity, SJAK coach of the Month Award for March on May 7, 2018 at Camp Toyoyo grounds. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

What you need to know:

  • Kitambi’s award came just two weeks after striker Ezekiel Odera was named best player for the month of March, making it the first time since the award’s inception that the coach and player of the month awards have been awarded to individuals from the same club.
  • Kitambi is set to depart the country Wednesday morning to rejoin his mentor and former boss Stewart Hall in Bangladesh as assistant coach of Saif Sporting Club.

AFC Leopards’ outgoing coach Dennis Kitambi was on Monday named the Kenyan Premier League's best coach in the month of March by local football writers.

Kitambi, who is poised to leave the club by the end of this week, received the befitting send-off package that came with a cash award of Sh75,000 as well as a personalised trophy from sponsors Fidelity Insurance.

The Tanzanian coach won the favour of sports journalists for winning all four of Ingwe’s matches in March, and was voted by unanimous acclamation by the Sports Journalists Association of Kenya’s football committee.

Outgoing AFC Leopards coach Dennis Kitambi displays his trophy after he won the Fidelity, SJAK coach of the Month Award for March on May 7, 2018 at Camp Toyoyo grounds. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

“I am really grateful for this award and it is a great way for me to sign off. I thank the players and my fellow coaches for cooperating with me throughout my stay here. It is not easy for a coach to join a team when players are demoralised from losing too many matches, and succeed in turning things around. But we did it with the help of everyone in the team and I will forever be grateful for their support.

“I leave this club with a heavy heart, but it was an already predetermined matter spelled out in the contract so I have to go. I wish the current coach the very best as he takes charge of the team and I know it is only a matter of time before he receives an award for himself,” Kitambi said on Monday at the Camp Toyoyo grounds in Jericho estate.

Kitambi’s award came just two weeks after striker Ezekiel Odera was named best player for the month of March, making it the first time since the award’s inception that the coach and player of the month awards have been awarded to individuals from the same club.

Kitambi is set to depart the country Wednesday morning to rejoin his mentor and former boss Stewart Hall in Bangladesh as assistant coach of Saif Sporting Club.

Ingwe are currently fifth on the Kenyan Premier League table with 21 points from 14 matches, and are poised to face Nakumatt in their next match this weekend.