By Fredrick Nadulli aka Razor,
AFC Leopards,Kenya’s oldest football club has been in the news for all the wrong reasons.From administrative wrangles to shambolic player transfers to disgruntled fans venting their anger over poor results.But it is the firing of coaches that has become synonimous with the hitherto troubled giants.
So bad has the situation been that the initials AFC were corrupted from Abaluhya Football Club to the now infamous tag ‘Always Firing Coaches’.
In less than eighteen months,the club has been handled by not less than five tacticians.For a club of Leopards’ stature,this is a very worrying trend.
ENTER THE DUTCHMAN
Then Pieter de Jongh arrived from the Netherlands.Before he was unveiled,the name Trevor Morgan was on every lip,until he turned down the offer and quietly slipped away.At one point the administration actually appeared desperate to fill the vacant head coach position by whatever means,just to placate their increasingly restless faithful.They were in desperate earnest.
NILE BASIN CUP
De Jongh eventually assumed the reins.His first task was to lead the struggling side to Sudan for the Nile Basin Cup.
Like his predecessors,he called for patience and time to turn around their fledgling fortunes.Many pessimists were quick to dismiss him as another statistic,a passing cloud.They said he was bound to fail and join a harrowing string of failed coaches,going by his words.
The UEFA licenced Dutchman took it in his stride and quietly took the team to Khartoum.
And so began his conquest.
Leopards swept all before them until they tumbled at the last hurdle.,the final.It was not only their unprecedented run that confounded many,but also their new style of play coupled with renewed confidence.Before this,so battered was their reputation that Kenya organisers even had local fixtures planned for them,believing they would exit the tournament early and fly back home to continue where they left off.
They were dead wrong Everyone was.Not Pieter de Jongh.He had an ace up his sleeve.
The team flew back to Kenya with their runner-up medals,but more importantly a good frame of mind and freshness that had eluded them for a while,thanks to the Dutchman.
They had little time to savour their Sudan exploits.Bitter rivals Gor Mahia lied in wait.A meeting of these two clubs is Kenya’s biggest fixture.
It was scheduled to be played 72 hours after Leopards’ return.De Jongh was tasting the TPL for the first time.It was crunch time for him.Was the Sudan adventure a fluke?
Only time would tell.
Ingwe as its seductively called by passionate fans , spanked Gor 3-1,and it would have been more.Their manner of doing it left many in awe.The Dutchman’s tactical awareness won it for the cats.‘Cometh the hour cometh the man’,purred AFC fans in delight.
GOING FORWARD
The new man has undoubtedly won the hearts of the hard-to-please fans.It has taken him very little time to prove his pedigree.Many may dismiss his achievements as a one off,a flame that will soon flicker out.The bigger picture suggests otherwise.
Leopards are playing silky football and showing renewed vigour.Their mental frame looks good.Pieter de Jongh has done more than coaching.He is an astute manager.
N/B Fredrick Nadulli aka Razor is a former Kenyan International and long serving Mathare United player.
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