New KPL licence rule has Gor Mahia, Leopards coaches sweating

AFC Leopards coach Pieter de Jongh and his Gor Mahia counterpart Frank Nuttall may lose their jobs if a new requirement by Kenya football authorities is enforced.

All coaches of Kenyan Premier League clubs must have a minimum level of qualification certified by Caf.

Local football authorities have put the Caf A licence as the minimum qualification for tacticians handling top league teams, and a six month notice has been issued to non-compliant coaches to get the crucial document.

RULE PASSED BY FIFA

“We have not created these recommendations. This is a rule that was passed by Fifa directing that all coaches handling premier league teams have the region’s A or B license, and that all coaches handling the lower division league have the regional B or C license,” Kenya football authorities’ media liaison John Kariuki told Nation Sport.

In preparation for this rule, the federation invited instructors into the country in June this year where 30 coaches successfully undertook the important two-week course in Machakos.

Former Gor Mahia coaches Sammy 'Pamzo' Omollo and Zedekiah Otieno emerged as the best students with 90.3 per cent and 87.4 per cent scores respectively.

Kariuki says that most foreign coaches possess the Uefa licenses that are equivalent to the Caf license, but that they will still be required by the law to undertake an equalization course to be eligible.

“If they (Nuttal and De Jongh) have the Uefa licenses then they will only have to do an (Caf) equalisation course anywhere in Africa in order to conform to the new rule,” he said.

RANGERS COACH RELEGATED

Former Rangers head coach George Maina has already been relegated to the assistant coach position for his lack of the necessary document. His position was taken by former Thika United coach John Kamau, who was the third best student in the June training course with a 83.5 per cent score.

Nuttal will however have an upper hand as all coaches with teams in continental tournaments will be taken through the course in Cairo before the competitions kick off next year.