Sony Sugar FC head coach Salim Babu was named the Coach of the Month for May.PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu.
AWENDO, Kenya, June 7 – Sony Sugar head coach Salim Babu was on Tuesday named the Fidelity Insurance Coach of the Month for May.
Babu, who returned to the club in April after Leonard Odipo resigned, steered the Sugar Millers to an unbeaten run in the Month of May, winning three and drawing one in four matches to help the club off the relegation zone.
Babu’s side opened the month with a 1-0 win over struggling Sofapaka, followed by a similar victory against Thika United, holding leaders Tusker FC 1-1 before wrapping up with a 2-0 thumping over limping Nairobi City Stars.
The coach was selected by Sports Journalist Association of Kenya (SJAK) Football Commission in a competitive process that saw him amass 15 points of the votes to claim the monthly award ahead of close challenger Gor Mahia’s Jose Marcelo Ferreira.
Tusker FC’s Paul Nkata (8 points) also made it to the shortlist but finished third behind Marcelo (13 points).
Speaking after receiving the trophy and Sh50,000, Babu was upbeat the award will motivate him continue with the winning run when the second leg resumes in July.
“I am so delighted to win this award. It means a lot to me. I thank the management for the support and team at large. I believe this is not the first time you will be coming here for the awards,” Babu stated.
Babu, who aided Sony finish ninth at the end of first leg, became the fourth coach to claim the award after Mathare United’s Francis Kimanzi, AFC Leopards’ Ivan Minnaert and Posta Rangers’ Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno won it in the past.
