Former Harambee Stars coach Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee has made a rallying call to CAF concerning the biennial CHAN tournament with regard to local-based African coaches.
Former Harambee Stars coach Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee has made a compelling case for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to prioritize local coaches for the African Nations Championship (CHAN).
As Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda gear up to co-host the 2024 edition of CHAN this August, Mulee believes the tournament provides an ideal platform to not only showcase local players but also elevate the status of homegrown coaches.
Speaking during a media briefing following the CHAN 2024 draw held in Nairobi, Mulee emphasized the importance of aligning the tournament’s focus on local talent with the inclusion of local-based coaching staff.
Harambee Stars assistant coach believes Harambee Stars’ goalscoring issue is about a lack of enough quality strikers, but Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee disagrees, labling it a ‘lame excuse’.
“I think CAF should consider making sure CHAN is a tournament handled by local coaches so that we promote everyone,” Mulee stated. “What is the need of having a CHAN where all our players are local-based but the coach is foreign? For me, it does not make sense at all. Give the coaches an opportunity to oversee these players.”
Mulee’s argument stems from the tournament’s primary purpose of spotlighting homegrown talent. Since its inception, CHAN has served as a gateway for local players to secure professional contracts with major clubs across Europe.
Notable players like Yves Bissouma of Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City’s Patson Daka have both used the tournament as a springboard for their careers.
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Harambee Stars interim coach Francis Kimanzi has been very particular in wanting his players to harness one trait if they are to defy the odds in group A of the 2024 CHAN group of death.
Mulee, however, believes that extending this opportunity to coaches would be equally impactful, enabling them to gain valuable exposure and recognition on an international stage.
Mulee pointed to Senegal’s recent triumph in the 2022 CHAN edition as a prime example of the potential local coaches can unlock when given the chance.
Under the leadership of Pape Thiaw, a local coach who previously managed Niarry Tally in Senegal’s domestic league, the Senegal B team clinched the CHAN title.
This achievement bolstered Thiaw’s coaching credentials and ultimately earned him the permanent head coach role for Senegal’s senior national team following Aliou Cissé’s departure in 2024.
Mulee’s comments come at a critical time for Kenyan football, as the country seeks to regain its footing on the continental stage.
He has already urged the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) to retain Francis Kimanzi as the national team’s head coach, citing the need for continuity and investment in local expertise.
With the 2024 CHAN serving as a precursor to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which Kenya will co-host, Mulee’s call for empowering local coaches resonates as a necessary step toward fostering sustainable football development across the region.
