NAIROBI, Kenya, October 30- Sofapaka have released their English coach, Stewart Hall back to Tanzanian side Azam FC with assistant David Ouma set to take charge of the 2009 Tusker Premier League winners for the remainder of the season.
Club president, Elly Kalekwa, told Capital Sport on Tuesday that he had decided to free Hall who only took charge of the club in September from his contract after Azam made him a lucrative offer they could not match.
“I’m disappointed to let him go since he is a good coach and person but I will not stand in his way. Azam offered him a very expensive contract that will make him one of the highest paid in Africa.
“I fully understand why he has to leave immediately since Azam sacked their coach yesterday (Monday) and they are challenging for the league title,” the president disclosed.
The moneyed Tanzanian league side fired Hall acrimoniously over a dispute before hiring Serbian Boris Bunjak whom they axed on Monday after they suffered a 3-1 loss to Simba SC on Saturday to bring their winless streak to five.
That saw Azam slip to fourth in the Tanzanian league and Kalekwa revealed they had consequently apologised to Hall and offered him the mammoth contract to bring him back to the side he managed from 2010.
“They told him they have an interest in him and said they were sorry with a very high offer since they say they fired him by mistake after some people within the club conspired against him.
“He is a good professional since he came to me and asked for directions since he had a contract with us and after discussions, I decided to let him go,” Kalekwa stressed.
The president who saw his club fall out of title contention after a series of draws disclosed that they would look outside the country for their next coach.
“Ouma will continue with the team until the end of the season but our aim remains bringing in another professional. If we were looking to hire someone from Kenya, then Ouma would be the one,” he added.
Sofapaka are scheduled to play league champions Tusker in the Football Kenya Federation Cup semi final on November 17 in their last chance of software this season.
They won the trophy in 2010 before qualifying to the knock-out stages of the CAF Confederations Cup where they eliminated by Tunisia’s Club Africain in the quarter finals in the subsequent season.
