Robert Matano, one of Kenya’s most celebrated veteran coaches, has parted ways with top-flight club Sofapaka and joined Tanzanian side Fountain Gate FC.
“Welcome Coach Robert Matano (The Lion) to the best club in Tanzania,” read a statement on Fountain Gate’s official social media page.
Matano, 60, has joined Fountain Gate, who currently sit in sixth place with 20 points after 16 matches in the Tanzanian top-flight league.
The club had gone three consecutive matches without a win before parting ways with their former head coach Mohamed Muya on the 29th, after which the club dissolved the entire technical bench.
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Matano leaves Sofapaka at a turning point for the club, which had started the season poorly but was showing signs of improvement.
The coach, who returned to Batoto Ba Mungu this season for his second stint, departs with the team in seventh place with 21 points after 15 matches, having managed five wins, six draws, and four losses.
Sofapaka will miss one of the premier league’s most tactically astute coaches, as well as the man who led the club to a league title in his first season in 2009 before his departure.
Before joining Sofapaka, Matano had been the head coach at Tusker FC for six years until his contract expired in 2024.
During his tenure, he guided the club to six league titles, including in 2012, 2020/2021, and 2021/2022.
This move marks Matano’s first coaching assignment outside of Kenya, a new chapter for the coach, renowned for his seriousness and dedication to his work.
With his departure, Sofapaka now faces the challenge of finding a replacement to maintain their competitiveness in the league, particularly after narrowly avoiding relegation last season.
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