NAIROBI, March 15 – Newly appointed Gor Mahia head coach Jose Marcelo Ferreira has promised a better playing style for K’Ogalo, similar to the one the Brazil national football team plays.
The former Brazilian international says he was impressed with the players at his first training session and remains optimistic the Kenyan Premier League champions will recover from their poor start to the season.
Marcelo, who played for Brazil from1996-2001 as a right-back, was unveiled on Tuesday by the club chairman Ambrose Rachier on a one-year renewable contract to replace Scotsman Frank Nuttall.
“It’s too early to judge the players after only one session. When you change a coach it is good for all the players since they want to demonstrate their value to the new coach. I’m glad because it’s a competitive squad.
“I spoke with the players this morning in our first training and I explained to them my philosophy. If they are happy, all the Gor Mahia family is happy too. My style of play is easy, I’m a Brazilian and I love this game,” Marcello, who featured for Inter Milan from 2004-2006 outlined.
Only taking over his third coaching job in a career that has spanned seven years, Marcello is upbeat he will succeed at the record 15-time national champions, which is his first job in Africa since he started coaching in 2009.
The coach has asked for more training balls insisting that every player must have a ball during training as most of his training will be on ball work.
Marcelo, a Bronze medalist with the Sellecao in 1996 finds a limping Gor which is struggling to find back its feet after going eight matches winless in all competitions.
Rachier revealed to Capital Sports they will be looking for Marcello’s assistant after the departure of Frank Ouna.
The coach has come along with a physical trainer, Italian Alessandro Fantoni, who worked with the Brazilian in his last assignment in Romania with top tier side FC Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț.
Fantoni brings in wealth of experience after working with some of the biggest clubs in Italy such as Lazio, Siena and AC Milan.
Marcelo, who has set a target of guiding K’Ogalo to their fourth title in a row, has his work cut out with Rwandan forward Jacques Tuyisenge expected to be fit when the league resumes from a two-week international break.
“I’m not worried on Gor’s performance because it’s normal. Juventus did the same in Italy when they lost their first three games but look at them now they are leading the Serie A league. I hope to make the same in the next few games.
“I’m here to make the team champions again. We have to get the winning mentality. I have told them I want a repeat of the same as last season and also make it in the African Champions League next season.”
For the next one week, Gor will be pulled into double sessions as the coach tries to get the best out of the team in terms of fitness and he believes the two weeks are enough for his charges to fully grasp his philosophy.