Football Kenya Federation president Hussein Mohammed has revealed when Kenyans should expect to know the identity of the next Harambee Stars coach.
Kenyan football fans can expect a new Harambee Stars coach within a week, according to Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Hussein Mohammed.
The search for a new Harambee Stars coach has been ongoing since the resignation of Engin Firat in December 2024 with South African legend Benni McCarthy widely reported to be the man FKF has settled on for the job.
While he could not be drawn into the identity of the new coach, Mohammed revealed that the process of finding Firat’s replacement is nearing its conclusion.
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“FKF is looking for a substantive coach and a competent technical bench to achieve our objectives,” Mohammed told Nation.
“It is an ongoing process, which is why the current technical bench was appointed on an interim basis. We will provide an update on the new coach in a week or so after tying up the loose ends.”
In what could perhaps be an indication that the new coach is not Kenyan, Mohammed reiterated that the current technical bench, led by Francis Kimanzi, will remain in charge on an interim basis as initially appointed.
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“We made it clear that Kimanzi is the interim coach, and that remains the case,” Mohammed went on, emphasising the importance of clear objectives and contractual terms with the coaches the federation engages.
“We want to get things right, given the contractual obligations and the journey ahead. We have faced significant challenges with coaches in terms of paying their dues, and we don’t want to fall into a similar trap,” he added.
It is not clear if the new coach will be in charge for the 2024 African Nations Championships (CHAN 2024), that kicks off on February 1 in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, given Kimanzi has been preparing a team designed to represent the country at the tournament.
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Over 20 candidates are reported to have applied for the Harambee Stars job, including McCarthy, with a technical committee, led by FKF vice President McDonald Mariga, overseeing the process.
