AFC Leopards head coach Marko Vasiljevic during a training session at the Jakaya Kikwete Memorial Park in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on January 20, 2018. PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu
NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 4 – Kenyan Premier League side AFC Leopards is considering a radical change within the technical bench after a torrid run of results, Capital Sports understands.
AFC suffered a third defeat in four games after a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Bandari FC in Mombasa on Sunday, and it appears the club’s Executive Committee is moving in to salvage the situation with a shake-up of the technical bench.
This might see the exit of Serbian tactician Marko Vasiljevic, barely two months into the job. Rumor has it that he might be demoted to the post of an assistant if a more senior coach arrives, but all that is yet to be decided.
“The truth is that the executive is considering making changes in the technical bench because of the current results. Probably even before the game against Gor Mahia on Saturday, we might see a new person in the bench either as coach or otherwise,” a source within the club confided.
The 25-year old Vasiljevic took charge after was-to-be coach Nikola Kavazovic ditched the side to move to Free State Stars in South Africa. Vasiljevic was supposed to be Nikola’s assistant, and was elevated once the latter went to South Africa.
And now, it has emerged that the youthful tactician might have lost the dressing room at Leopards with a section of the club’s executives questioning some of his decisions and relationship with some players.
AFC Leopards head coach Marko Vasiljevic feeds instructions to his players during a training session at the Jakaya Kikwete Memorial Park in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on January 20, 2018. PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu
“In my opinion, he might be too inexperienced for this job. In terms of tactics and all, he is okay, but remember this is his first job as head coach and he has so far failed to sustain the pressure,” the source further stated.
He added; “Also, his relationship with some players is not good. There are players he has not used purely because he does not like them. The likes of Ndayishimiye (Eric), Oruchum (Christopher), Mawira (Joshua), Baker (Lukooya) are not playing and when he is asked he says they are yet to adapt to his style,”
“We had Oduro (Isaac) injured in Tanzania, but he chose to play Kipyegon (Isaac) in central defense while we have Oruchum and Mawira who are first team players. Maybe, just maybe, managing a big team such as Leopards has proved tough for him.”
Ingwe are placed 15th in the KPL standings with 10 points, having won only twice in 10 games and are only three points shy of the relegation zone.
They face arch rivals Gor Mahia on Saturday at Kasarani and another loss here will see them sink further in the standings.
It has been rumored that former coach Dennis Kitambi who is currently back at his native home in Tanzania might be one of the candidates for the top job.
