Is Gor Mahia job foreign coaches’ stepping stone?

Has Gor Mahia become a platform for foreign coaches to build their profiles in Africa then leave for other teams?

This is the question that continues to linger in the minds of K'Ogalo fans after the exit of British coach Steven Polack on Friday.

The 58-year-old tactician has since been replaced by Brazilian Roberto Oliveira who arrived in the country on Saturday on a two-year contract.

Polack, who has been at the helm of Gor for one year, left the country for the United Kingdom on a 10-day holiday on September 12. He resigned while on holiday in what has become a familiar script followed by other foreign coaches recruited by Gor management led by chairman Ambrose Rachier.

Nation Sport has learnt that Polack had raised new pay demands, among other conditions, to be met before he resumes his duties.

"I was not forced to resign, we reached a mutual agreement,” said Polack from England.

Since 2011, former foreign K'Ogalo coaches Zdravko Logarusic, Dylan Kerr, Jose Marcelo Ferreira alias Ze Maria, Frank Nuttall, Hassan Oktay and now Polack have all left unceremoniously.

It is only Scottish coach Bobby Willamson who left well after being elevated to  national team Harambee Stars’ coach in 2014. Williamson is still revered by fans for leading the club to its first Kenyan Premier League (KPL) glory in 2013 after an 18-year drought.

Just four days after leaving Gor where he won two KPL titles, Kerr was appointed South Africa’s Black Leopards coach in the Absa Premier League. He left the club last year in May and joined Baroka in the same league. Baroka suspended him last week after narrowly surviving relegation. 

Ze Maria joined Gor Mahia at the end of 2015 season and left in 2017 for FC Tirana tactician in the Albania Premier League where he lasted only for 45 days before being axed.

Nuttall, who led K'Ogalo to the league without losing a match in 2015, left in 2016 and later landed a coaching role with Egyptian champions Zamalek.

He was to later join Hearts of Oak in Ghana in 2017 and Sudanese side El Hilal Ol Obeid. He has been out of work since leaving the club in 2018.

Turkish-Cypriot Oktay left in August last year never to return, he is still unattached.

Logarusic was sacked for failing to report to work in 2013 before joining AFC Leopards in 2015. He had previously been axed by Tanzanian giants Simba in 2014. He is now Zimbabwe’s national team coach.

Former Gor CEO Lordvick Aduda said the coaches come to K’Ogalo to better their CVs. He said: "The issue of financial constraints can't be the basis of coaches leaving the club, some were even well paid.”

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