Odhiambo a tried and tested coach
What you need to know:
- Together with Nandwa, he nurtured among others Musa Mohammed, Martin Imbalambala, Anthony Teddy Okumu, Clifton Miheso, Martin Kiongera, and David Owino Calabar.
- He then served as an assistant coach to French man Adel Amrouche with whom they clinched the 2013 Cecafa senior challenge before joining Bandari in June 2014.
Coach Kennedy Odhiambo is proving to be Bandari Football Club’s Mr Fix It after he oversaw a run of six straight wins when he returned to the club.
The widely travelled, no nonsense tactician, looks to have brought peace in the dressing room and restored sanity into the day to day activities of the club making winning matches more a rule than an exception.
Odhiambo landed in the country on January 26 at the time when Bandari head coach Bernard Mwalala was on suspension and immediately started helping stand in coach Twahir Muhidin who also doubles as Bandari’s technical director.
At that time Bandari had gone eight matches without a win and were occupying position 11 on the Kenyan Premier League table behind Posta Rangers who were placed 10th with 11 points clear.
His first match with the team saw them pull a 1-1 draw against Kakamega Homeboyz in Mombasa before the impressive winning streak commenced.
Our lads went on to beat KCB 2-1 in Mombasa, Mathare United 3-1 in Mombasa, KCB 2-1 in Machakos and Kariobangi Sharks 1-0 in Mombasa.
Bandari also made sure of a place in the round of 16 of the Betways FKF Cup with a deserving 2-0 win over Kenya School of Government in Machakos.
Well ahead
Before all football activities were stopped due to the coronavirus, Bandari were comfortably sitting in position nine on the log well ahead of Posta Rangers and Sofapaka, a clear pointer that the team is headed for better times under Odhiambo’s stewardship.
The 40-year-old tactician has touch of the game, which, if combined with his love for nurturing the youth will come in handy in Bandari’s quest for their first ever Premier League title.
While coach at Nairobi City Stars in 2009, he made the club’s home ground, Hope Centre in Kawangware, Nairobi a might fortress where Premier League big shot clubs struggled to even get a point.
At City Stars, which was more or else like a football academy, he nurtured among others John Mark Makwata, Anthony Kimani, Jimmy Bagaye and Gor Mahia goalkeeper Peter Odhiambo to name but a few.
It was while at City Stars that Gor Mahia approached him in 2010 to work as an assistant to Cameroonian Anaba Awuono.
Odhiambo, around that time, was also called up as Harambee Stars assistant coach under James Nandwa.
Together with Nandwa, he nurtured among others Musa Mohammed, Martin Imbalambala, Anthony Teddy Okumu, Clifton Miheso, Martin Kiongera, and David Owino Calabar.
He then served as an assistant coach to French man Adel Amrouche with whom they clinched the 2013 Cecafa senior challenge before joining Bandari in June 2014.
