Paul Put speaks out on Kenyan sojourn, broken dreams, future

What you need to know:

  • Former Harambee Stars coach, headed for west Africa on new assignment, speaks highly of the quality of local football talent but wants federation and government to build infrastructure that deny players a chance to showcase their technique.
  • Nothing was forthcoming but Kenyans were expecting a lot from me. How do I work with nothing? When I met Sports Principal Secretary, he assured he would provide everything I needed. The same case with Deputy President. These are things we agreed on with FKF President and CEO before I signed the contract, but nothing was delivered, says ex-Stars coach who has taken up Guinea job.

Modern football now offers head coaches space and opportunity to show defiance in the market place of coaching services.

Decorated in designer suits, official club or national wear, a coach today plays the protagonist, antagonist and sometimes even the pantomime villain on his very own stage.

When most clubs or national teams entrust their footballing direction to a new managerial appointment, it’s usually very rare that one man is appointed and entrusted with the task. Increasingly, a couple of assistant coaches, specialised fitness trainers, performance analysts and medical staff come as part of the package. This to enhance performance to meet set targets.

But what happens when members of a team’s technical department are not hired as one package? Can the coach then stick together for long periods at the respective club or national team as he works out a way out? 

Kenya’s coach Paul Put who has left Harambee Stars to take up a similar role in Guinea thinks otherwise.

“I have been in Africa for 11 years, and I think I’ve been improving earning a lot of respect therefore I have a good reputation. I believe in my philosophy. I left (Kenya) because I was not given 100 per cent support but five per cent,” Put, speaking in an exclusive interview with Nation Sport, said on Friday. The coach was speaking for the first time since tabling his resignation letter to Football Kenya Federation (FKF) last month.

Belgian Paul Put officially unveiled as the new Harambee Stars tactician replacing Stanley Okumbi. PHOTO | CELLESTINE OLILO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

LOST TO NIGERIA

The Belgian was working on his fourth challenge as national coach. In addition to Gambia (2008-2011) and Burkina Faso (2012-2015), he briefly coached Jordan (2015-2016) but it was with Burkina Faso he hit the greatest heights in his career leading the country to the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations final, losing 1-0 to Nigeria in South Africa.

Put’s record speaks for itself. He was named coach of the year in Belgium and Africa in 2004 and 2013 respectively, and also had other personal recognition in Gambia and Jordan. In Belgium, Put was coach of among other teams, Verbroedering Geel (1998-2000), Ingelmunster (2000-2001), Sporting Lokeren (2001-2003), Lierse (2004-2005) and Mouscron (2006).

Put, now aged 61, took over as Gambia coach in 2008 after being slapped with a three-year ban in Belgium over allegations of football corruption and gambling that was also linked to Chinese Zheyun Ye. Put however led Gambia to its highest Fifa ranking at position 65.

He has had an impressive winning record. His triumph with Harambee Stars at the 2017 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup came with four wins and two draws, a performance that many of the team’s coaches have not achieved in recent years.

But why resign after just 74 days in charge?

“I was really disappointed when all my requests fell on deaf ears therefore I resigned to put pressure on them but they took it differently and went to the media instead of replying to a confidential letter I wrote to them,” he offers.

“My personal reasons is my reputation that I have in Africa. Look, I’ve been requesting things but nothing was forthcoming but the Kenyan people were expecting a lot from me. Now, how do I work with nothing? When I met the Sports Principal Secretary (Peter Kaberia), he assured he would provide everything I needed. The same case with Deputy President (William Ruto), these are things we agreed on with (FKF President) Nick Mwendwa and CEO Robert (Muthomi) before I signed the contract, but nothing was delivered. Had I known this, I wouldn’t have signed the contract, especially after tendering my resignation in Algeria thrice."

“But I was convinced things we needed to perform well would be provided. It’s the first time in my whole career that I have resigned after three months so they can’t say that I am not serious,” says the soft-spoken Put.

“One, I had an issue with my salary but I can’t blame the federation because I signed a contract for the first time in my career in US dollars so when I sent money to my family in Belgium, I was losing a lot every month. I requested them to find solution, what’s 3,500 Euros (Sh487,000) from the government anyway? But they told me to be patient.

“Two, after (2017) Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup I requested for five more staff on the technical bench plus an analysing system to help track our players abroad and study our opponents but there was no response. I don’t think it was the right time for Kenya to hire a professional coach because they are struggling a lot and it’s sad I had to leave with a broken heart.”

Harambee Stars goalkeeper Patrick Matasi embraces head coach Paul Put at the end of the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup final between Kenya and Zanzibar at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos on December 17, 2017. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

But was there a specific time line given to FKF to implement the coach’s proposals?

“We planned for friendlies in March so I needed the bench before January. If you want to improve football, you need a strong bench, they’ve been asking me how I did it before and I showed them so I did my proposal but I can’t pay the people myself. We’ve to be honest, football is logic,” he reiterates.

Harambee Stars coach Paul Put fields questions from journalists during a press conference on February 7, 2018 in Nairobi. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

Also, the 61-year-old reportedly wanted a beach front house in Mombasa rather than what he had been offered in Nairobi, a mid-size Pajero SUV, a personal chef, a bodyguard and a diplomatic passport and to work with his own match agent, things he denies categorically.

“This are ridiculous stories, I only said that if we have to push things, I could help by seeing the minister of sports or the president because I knew I could convince them on how modern football works, having done it before. I didn’t insist on doing things my own way, but I only made requests where necessary. A house in Mombasa? That was just a joke!” says Put, who was unveiled on November 18 last year during FKF Annual General Meeting in Mombasa.

“About the match agent, I was requested to take Kenya to play in Algeria by the president of USM Algier who is also the vice president of the country’s federation. He told me he could invite us to play Algeria and they would pay everything for all 32 people. I sent him mail suggesting 44 people, and he agreed everything and signed, then I gave the proposal to FKF President (Mwendwa) but he was afraid that they would be too strong for us, saying we look for other opponents. They (FKF) have a match agent they are working with and were making a fool of me. FKF suggested Angola but no documentation was forthcoming from the federation.

“I contacted another agent who contacted Luxembourg that were to pay for everything. For me, friendlies are not about winning but to help me see my team’s weaknesses and to learn, I had those options but they were rejected. If you are to prepare for a team like Ghana, you need strong opposition. Algeria and Luxembourg wanted to play my team for free because of my strong contacts with them but FKF officials said those were stronger opponents," he says.

“In my report, I needed to know the opponents six to seven weeks in advance to get enough information about them and adequately prepare my players, that’s professionalism,” says Put.

“In Africa, federations give service contracts to players and technical bench to avoid visa hitches because you travel a lot here so I asked if Kenya offers such services but I was never given an answer,” he says, pointing to his Burkina Faso service passport.

“All my players in Burkina Faso and Gambia got this and with it, you can’t get stranded at airports processing visas.”

“About the car, the federation asked me what make I wanted, and I told them to give me a decent car, then they said they would get me a four-wheel drive car because of the long distances involved. After Cecafa, we went with Nick (Mwendwa) and Robert (Muthomi) to check it out but nothing came of it. I’ve been using a small Toyota car from the federation, which was not comfortable but I never complained. In Gambia and Algeria, I was driving a Range Rover Sport, in Burkina Faso a Prado and in Jordan I was provided with a driver by the Prince (Ali Bin Hussein). None of those countries assigned me a second-hand car that never came like Kenya did.

Harambee Stars coach Paul Put gives instructions from the touch-line during their Cecafa Senior Challenge Group A match against Libya on December 5, 2017 at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

“I was showed the apartment here (he points at his residence), I liked it but asked that an office table which was promised but not delivered. Now I have been working from my dining table and whenever I wanted to print something, I have had to fix the printer in the kitchen,” he explains.

The Belgian says he was determined to end Kenya’s 14-year absence at the Africa Cup of Nations during his two-year contract. Kenya has only featured in the Afcon five times — in 1972, 1988, 1990, 1992 and 2004 in the 60 years of the competition’s existence.

“My thoughts were to work like I did before in other African countries to qualify for Afcon. Kenya is a sleeping gold mine because the talent is there but you need the support. I don’t understand that you’ve not qualified for Afcon for many years with such talent,” he wondered.

Put, a low profile central defender in his heydays before venturing into coaching in 1988, was however evasive when asked about his opinion on Kenyan football even as he departs to take over a new job in Guinea.

“I can’t give any comment because I am no longer Kenya’s coach. I gave my report on how to professionalise football here but I think the main problem is finance,” he offers.

Harambee Stars coach Paul Put (centre) with Coca Cola's Franchise Brand Manager Rodney Nzioka (left) and Coca Cola Country Manager Satyajit Ram pose for photos on February 7, 2018 at Coke Plaza, Nairobi following a press briefing on the Fifa World Cup trophy tour. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

“Also the infrastructure has to be harnessed because bad pitches don’t expose players’ technique. The attitude of Kenyan players is good, they want to listen, they’re motivated and I can show you messages from those abroad. I didn’t work with them but they expressed their disappointment and ‘unwillingly’ respect my decision to resign,” he says while displaying text messages sent to him by some of the senior players in Harambee Stars squad.

His main objective with Guinea, a country ranked 70th in Fifa rankings, is qualify for next year’s Afcon.