KK Homeboyz coach Nick Muyoti praises FKF for helping X players transition into coaching.
Previous Football Kenya Federation (FKF) administrations have been accused of ignoring former players most of whom fall on hard times after their careers are over.
However, the current administration is trying to change the narrative and in the last four years has been sponsoring a number of former internationals to attend Confederation of African Football (CAF) sanctioned courses.
It is something Kakamega Homeboyz coach Nicholas Muyoti believes will go a long way in building the capacity of the former players.
“Some people assume that if you were a player, then automatically you are qualified to be a coach. However, that is not always the case. The transition from playing to coaching is a process and needs knowledge.
“In this regard, I am glad to have attended the CAF ‘C’ level course with a number of former players. It was very educative and went along way to build our capacity,” he said.
Muyoti said he would like future coaching courses to involve coaches’ associations.
AFC Leopards coach Antony Kimani is also elated to have taken part in the courses and says the high number of former players who benefitted from it is equally inspiring.
“It was an important training. It has raised our knowledge and put us at another level. Seeing a number of former players undertake the same training was also refreshing. It built their ability to coach even if they are not already doing it now,” said the former Mathare United player.
Kimani admitted that his club were left poorer following the departure of striker John Makwatta.
“Makwatta was a leader on and off the pitch and his personality was very inspiring to the younger players. We definitely missed that when he left for Zambia,” he added.
Tom Juma another former international praised the current FKF regime for organizing the course.
“There was a big vacuum as previous regimes never bothered to organize for such courses and most the most recent ones have made a different even at the grassroots level. And when you look at the numbers trained, you realise there are many people and that it will make a big difference in their lives.”
Bidco coach Antony Akhulia another recipient of the courses said he had learnt new techniques that helped him improve his coaching skills.
“I benefitted a lot. It has helped me to look at coaching from a different perspective,” said Akhulia who recently helped Bidco to qualify for the Kenyan Premier League (KPL).
Other coaches who have benefitted from the coaching courses FKF has offered in the past four years include John Baraza (Sofapaka Coach), Evans Mafuta (Nairobi Stima Asst. Coach), Rix Kanuli (Shabana Asst. Coach), Ibrahim Shikanda (Bandari Asst. Coach), Kinero Abdalla (Modern Coast Asst. Coach), Godfrey Oduor (KCB Asst. Coach), Charles Okere (Tusker Asst. Coach), Fred Ambani (Wazito Asst. Coach), John Amboko (Nairobi City Stars Asst. Coach), George Maina (Naivas Coach), and Pascal Ochieng (Posta Rangers Asst. Coach), among others
