Matano sues AFC Leopards coach Aussems in court

Tusker coach Robert Matano has sued his AFC Leopards counterpart Patrick Aussems for defamation.

According to court documents seen by Nation Sport on Thursday, Matano took issue with Aussems branding him ‘an old coach who used witchcraft more than tactics to win his football matches’.

He has given the Belgian tactician three days to apologise to him via twitter failure to which they will settle the matter in court. 

"Unfortunately, we have been punished at the last minute due to a lack of aggressiveness! Congrats to the players of Tusker. Of course I won’t talk about an old coach with no international experience who is more a djudju man than a tactician…one could learn!’ tweeted Mr Aussems on April 9, 2023.

AFC had lost to Tusker by a solitary goal scored in the dying minutes of the contest at Nyayo National Stadium the previous day.

Accordingly, Matano, through his lawyers, said that Aussems’ words in their natural meaning would lead people to understand that he lacks the requisite knowledge of coaching football.

“Further by calling our client a djudju man, you insinuated that our client is a witch, sorcerer, evil, black magician, warlock and /or practices black magic, especially for evil purposes. The said statement is false and malicious and only meant to stain his good reputation as he is a highly respected coach not just in Kenya but in East Africa. Our client is a national hero with a rich profile both as a footballer and a coach filled with success,” said Matano’s lawyers in their statement.

The lawyers informed Aussems that he had disparaged their client’s professional business as a football coach and that his esteem had been lowered in the eyes of society; thus suffering embarrassment, contempt and odium.

“We hereby DEMAND that you tender your unconditional written apology to our client and further publish the same apology on your twitter page within the next three (3) days from the date hereof failing which we shall have no alternative but to institute legal proceedings against you for the recovery of compensation without any further notice to you and at your risk as to further costs and consequences. Further in view of the above and for your defamation, expect to receive a written proposal on the damages to be paid by yourself to our client within the next seven (7) days of your receipt of this letter,” said Matano's lawyers from Wambilanga, Majani & Associates.

In his response to Aussems' tweet back then, Matano had dared the Belgian to an unspecified duel in a bid to settle their differences.

“I will not leave anything to chance and since he promised me a fight in town, I’m ready for him. What I will not allow him to get away with is his claims that I use witchcraft to win matches. That one he has to prove in hell, heaven, or on earth. He has to and I must get an answer.

"I’m a Kenyan and because he is a foreigner, he thinks he can come here and speak trash about me at home. I will not report his threats to the police but mark my words, Aussems will have to prove to me how I win matches using witchcraft. I will not leave him,” said Matano before he chose to go the legal way through his lawyers.

It is the first time in the history of the Kenyan Premier League that a football coach has sued a colleague.