NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 18 – Kenyan Premier League side Kakamega Homeboyz have appointed immediate former Nzoia Sugar boss Nicholas Muyoti as their new head coach and will be assisted by Peter Okidi, both taking charge on one-year contracts.
“We had a shortlist of almost 20 coaches but for us Muyoti stood out and with our policy of giving youth a chance and him being a young coach, he fit the bill we required. I have utmost faith in him and Okidi that they will help the team improve,” Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula stated.
He added; “It is good for us to trust our local coaches because that’s the only way we will grow them. I have vowed never to appoint any foreign coach in my team after what happened before,” further stated Shimanyula.
Homeboyz were without a coach after Fred Nkata was fired amidst match fixing claims with veteran forward Allan Wanga and goalkeeper David Juma taking charge on interim basis alongside technical director Eliud Omukuya.
Wanga has literally led from the front, scoring five goals for the Kakamega based side including last weekend’s solo strike that handed them a slim 1-0 win over his former side Tusker FC.
The forward will now resume his normal duties as the club’s lead striker as he looks to bag the KPL golden boot.
“He is a good coach and has proved with the little time he has been at Nzoia and as a team we will give them the full support they need to see the team achieve its targets this season,” Wanga said of the appointment of Muyoti, a former Kenyan international.
Muyoti however arrives in Kakamega after a lull period with Nzoia, three losses on the trot seeing them drop to 11th in the standings.
He finds Homeboyz placed ninth and his first task will be against Sofapaka at the Bukhungu Stadium on Saturday. He has already faced Batoto ba Mungu with the 2009 champions beating his Nzoia side 1-0.
Shimanyula has meanwhile raised the bar for them and says the only term for the renewal of their contracts will be if they guide the team to finish in the top five.
“We have good players. It was only the coaching that was the problem. Now with new people at the helm, we will do well. Minimum for them is a top five finish. We are in good form and we won away to Tusker, now we want to extend that to Sofapaka,” Shimanyula stated.
Muyoti, a former Kenyan international has had a bit of experience in coaching having worked at AFC Leopards as both assistant and caretaker coach and took full time coaching jobs at Thika and Nzoia.