Mathare United head coach Francis Kimanzi receives his February Coach of the Month award from Fidelity Insurance Marketing and Business Development Manager Nicholas Malesi. PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu
NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 11- Mathare United head coach Francis Kimanzi his beaten his Gor Mahia counterpart Dylan Kerr to the Fidelity Insurance/Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) Coach of the Month for February.
Both Kimanzi and Kerr enjoyed similar form in the first month of the new season, each picking three wins and a draw, but the Dutch-trained Kimanzi found favor with the SJAK football committee which handed him the diadem after a final round of voting.
“It is a surprising award because as much as we had worked hard, I didn’t expect this to come here today. But this is not my own work, it is the effort put in by the players and the other technical bench members and the management as well,” Kimanzi said as he received his award at the club’s training ground on Wednesday.
This is Kimanzi’s second coach of the month award having also claimed the same prize in the opening month of last season.
In the month of February, Mathare swatted aside sugar-milling clubs Nzoia and Sony then dropped two points against Ulinzi Stars picking a barren draw. They wound up the month with a 3-1 thrashing of Sofapaka to finish off with 10 points out of a possible 12.
Mathare United head coach Francis Kimanzi poses with his players after receiving his February Coach of the Month award at the club’s training ground on April 11, 2018. PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu
Kerr on the other hand led Gor Mahia to three consecutive victories over struggling Nakumatt, Zoo FC and Kariobangi Sharks then drew their last league match of the month against Tusker.
The ensuing vote carried out by SJAK Football Commission went Kiamnzi’s way as he scooped ten votes to Kerr’s six.
The highly rated coach intends to keep the team competitive and winning this year in a bid to play bag silverware at the end of season and play continental football next year.
The Slum Boys are currently sitting pretty on top of the Kenyan Premier League after accumulating 23 points off a possible 30 in the opening 10 games of the season. They have only lost one tie against AFC Leopards.
