Former Kenya international Sammy ‘Pamzo’ Omollo has stressed that it is high time local clubs in Kenya such as Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards start trusting local managers as Kenyan football has made significant strides in its development.
Two top-flight clubs in the Kenyan Premier League, AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia, are currently in search of permanent managers after parting ways with their previous coaches following the dismissal of their respective foreign head coaches.
Leopards fired Tomas Trucha in November, appointing Fred Ambani on an interim basis while Gor Mahia axed Brazilian coach Leonard Neiva with Zedekiah Otieno stepping in on a temporary basis.
Both Ambani and Otieno have demonstrated resilience since taking charge, but their futures remain uncertain as both clubs have historically relied heavily on foreign coaches.
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Should Fred Ambani be granted the opportunity to take over permanently at AFC Leopards, he would become the fifth Kenyan international to manage the club.
Other local managers who have previously coached the team include Jonathan Niva in the 1970s, Joseph Masiga in 1987 (for just one year), Robert Matano, who successfully managed the club during the 2017-2018 season and Antony Kimani Njenga, who had two separate stints in 2020 before later taking over from Trucha’s first stint in 2021.
On the other hand, Zico, who previously managed Gor Mahia in 2010, is hoping for his second tenure at the club.
Should he be appointed, he would join an exclusive group of 10 local coaches who have managed K’Ogalo including Austin Odour (1990), Bob Oyugi (1992), Tobias Ochola (1993), Mike Otieno (1999), Elly Adero (2002), James Siangi (2008), Sammy Omollo Pamzo (2008), Gedeon Ochieng (2009) and John Bobby Ogolla (2012).
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As fans of both clubs eagerly await the appointment of permanent managers, Pamzo, who has also coached Gor Mahia, believes it is time for a change.
He argues that Kenyan clubs should place their trust in local coaches as they are currently delivering impressive results despite the clubs’ longstanding preference for foreign managers.
“I think every club has its own power and tradition. Years back, we have seen Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards hire foreign managers but personally, I think they should change because they should now trust African coaches who are doing a better job right now.
We have successful coaches like Matano, Kimanzi, Ghost and myself who have been doing even better than the foreigners,” Pamzo told SportPesa Blog in an exclusive interview.
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He further noted that clubs that have struggled under foreign coaches have shown improvement since local coaches took over on an interim basis.
“Look at AFC Leopards, they struggled with foreign coaches for the past three years but when Fred Ambani took over, the team stabilized and started winning. Similarly, Gor Mahia has been struggling, but Zico is doing a great job there,” he added.
Omollo, 54, believes that local coaches, when given the same level of support as their foreign counterparts will deliver even greater success. He emphasized that local coaches possess the necessary experience and knowledge to excel.
“This means that if Ambani, Zico or any other local coach receives the same support as foreign coaches, we can be successful. The problem is that we haven’t been given enough chances, and clubs are not patient with local coaches,” he said.
He reiterated that the only significant difference between Kenyan football and European football is the quality of facilities. With the right support, he believes local coaches can achieve outstanding results.
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