Harambee Stars Head Coach Paul Put has resigned less than three months after his appointment to the position.The 61-year-old was named Kenya’s Head Coach in November 2017 but he had already managed to transform the side.
The Federation Kenya Football took to Facebook to let Kenyans know about Paul Put’s resignation saying he had resigned due to personal reasons.
“Football Kenya Federation wishes to inform the general public that Mr. Paul Put has officially resigned as the Kenya National Football Team, Harambee Stars Head Coach, citing personal reasons.”
“The tactician’s resignation, though down to personal reasons is a setback to the country’s ongoing 2019 AFCON qualifiers as he was an integral member of the Technical Bench.”
“In light of the foregoing, FKF has already begun the process of finding a suitable replacement to fill Paul’s position, with Stanley Okumbi taking charge of the national team in the interim period,”
“Lastly, the Federation thanks, Paul for his professional service and utmost commitment during his tenure with the Harambee Stars, this even as we wish him well in his future endeavours,” the statement added.
The Belgian gaffer had become a fan favorite after leading the stars to victory at the CECAFA senior challenge in December.
Paul’s resignation comes shortly after he requested the Federation of Kenyan Football to overhaul the technical bench and hire “professional trainers” if they are to qualify for major tournaments.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] “I am trying to improve the standards of football in Kenya so I did my propositions from my CECAFA report on what I think has to be done,” Put told journalists last week. “The other Kenyan coaches should not think that they are not good enough. It’s just that we are working at a certain level and they’ve to be ready to learn. If you want to qualify for AFCON, you can’t make mistakes, preparations have to be at 200 per cent.” He added. [/perfectpullquote]
The Federation of Kenya Football communication officer Barry Otieno said the federation had accepted his proposals including bringing in five new members to the technical bench which leaves us wondering why he resigned.
His departure will surely be a blow to Kenya who is currently in preparation for the coming AFCON qualifiers. They have lost a passionate, ambitious manager who has World Cup and AFCON experience under his belt.
He had previously led Gambia and Burkina Faso to the African Cup of Nations and was credited with Jordan’s miraculous qualification to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Stanely Okumbi will be the Harambee Star’s interim manager as they prepare to look for the next manager.
