NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 15 – Gor Mahia’s Jose ‘Ze Maria’ Marcelo has been named the Fidelity Insurance Coach of the Month for October.
The 43-year-old has become the second foreign coach to win the award this season after collecting seven points for K’Ogalo last month.
Former AFC Leopards tactician Ivan Minnaert was the first foreigner to win the accolade this year after bagging the March award.
Gor started October with a 2-2 draw against Western Stima at Nyayo National Stadium before claiming the Mashemeji derby bragging rights following their 2-0 victory over bitter rivals AFC Leopards, and they then beat Mathare United 2-1 at home.
‘Ze Maria’ was unanimously voted by the Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) Football Commission to win the monthly award ahead of Tusker FC’s Paul Nkata and Sofapaka’s John Baraza.
“I’m happy to get this award but it’s for my players. They have played like champions in the past five matches and for that I dedicate the award to them,” ‘Ze Maria’ said after receiving the award on Tuesday at the team’s Camp Toyoyo training ground.
The former Brazilian international said he will show Tusker they deserved to win the league for a fourth year in a row when the two sides clash on the final day of the season on November 19 at the Nyayo National Stadium.
“We will give a guard of honour to Tusker but we will show them on the pitch that we are better. I feel sorry for my players for losing the title because of deducted points but we’ll start working for next year very early. I want us to start 2017 on a high so as to wrap the title early.”
‘Ze Maria’ received Ksh 50,000 and a glittering trophy engraved with his name.
Despite the good run in October, Gor could not dethrone Tusker FC from the top of the log, with the Brewers going ahead to win the 2016 Kenyan Premier title with a match to spare.