Kenfoca boss Matano calls for resumption of football

Kenya Football Coaches Association (Kenfoca) chairman Robert Matano has urged the government to allow football to resume in the country, since most players and officials have received the Covid-19 vaccination jab.

Football Kenya Federation intend to complete the vaccination of all teams competing in the topflight league by Tuesday.

The Nick Mwendwa-led federation has also requested the government to allow their league to resume from April 24, so as to improve the preparation of both Harambee Stars and Harambee Starlets for the upcoming key assignments.  

“We are pleading with the government to allow us to go back to our business. Players and coaches, alongside their families are suffering because football is what they depend on. Before we were following all the Ministry of Health and Sports’ Covid-19 containment measures and we are ready to do so, if they allow us to resume playing,” said Matano.

Stars will open their Group "E" 2022 World Cup qualifiers at home to Uganda on June 5 before visiting Rwanda seven days later. The coach Jacob “Ghost” Mulee’s side will then play back-to-back matches against group favourites Mali in September before reverse fixtures against their East African neighbours in October.

For David Ouma-coached Starlets, they are supposed to compete in the 2022 Africa Women Cup of Nations qualifiers. The continental showpiece, which will be held in Morocco, will double up as the qualifiers for the 2023 World Cup that will be hosted jointly by Australia and New Zealand.

Meanwhile, Kenfoca has launched a funeral insurance cover for its members, in a move aimed at easing the financial burden that always arises, when one of their own dies.

According to Kenfoca chairman Robert Matano, who is also Tusker’s coach, each of their 483 members will henceforth be contributing Sh200 monthly to the cover.

“Whenever we lose our colleagues, it is always a big headache in contributing funds to cater for their funeral expenses. We approached an insurance company with the idea of members contributing, so that in case of a tragedy, they cater for all the funeral expenses,” Matano told Nation Sport on Sunday.

He added that they have plans to officially launch the cover sometime in May, if Covid-19 cases will have reduced in the country, to allow for social gatherings.

While terming the launch of the funeral insurance cover, as the first step in improving the livelihood of Kenyan coaches, the veteran tactician said that they are also planning to roll out a medical insurance cover for their members, which will also cater for their families.

“Many teams do not cover their coaches. We want our members to concentrate on their jobs without pressure from outside. These (the covers) will come in handy to achieving that, and we want the Football Kenya Federation to work with us in this course,” he said.

And for easy identification purposes, Matano announced that starting Tuesday, Kenfoca will roll out the issuing of special cards to all their 483 members across the country.

He said that members based in Nairobi will receive the cards from him, while those who come from Central and Eastern regions will collect them from Kenfoca Secretary John Njogu and Amin Kaka.

Mombasa-based members will receive their cards from Twahir Muhiddin, Western will be handled by Kenfoca treasurer James Saisi and Vihiga Queens coach’s Alex Alumira.

Kenfoca vice chairman Peter Kamau “Kaskas” will handle Rift Valley region, while in Nyanza, Eunice Dolla and George Ondula will be in charge.