Harambee Stars head coach Francis Kimanzi before Kenya’s match against Tanzania at the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup in Kampala on December 8, 2019. PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu
KAMPALA, Uganda, Dec 8 – Harambee Stars head coach Francis Kimanzi will not be on the touchline for the team’s remaining two Group B matches after he was hit with a two match ban by the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup organizing Committee.
Kimanzi was suspended for allegedly inciting the players not to honor the opening match of the tournament on Sunday against Tanzania as some of the Kilimanjaro Stars players did not have passports during the check-up.
“We have heard the same but we are yet to receive any official communication from CECAFA regarding the suspension. We will wait to get the letter then decide on the way forward,” Harambee Stars Team manager Ronny Oyando told Capital Sport on Sunday night.
On Monday however, the letter was presented to the Kenyan contingent at their hotel in Kampala.
Kimanzi will be banned for the two games against Sudan and Zanzibar and will not even be alowed within the premises of the Lugogo Complex in the two games.
Also, the decision cannot be appealed.
The CECAFA organizers have also reprimanded Kimanzi’s assistant Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno for what they termed as ‘unproffesional character’
Capital Sport has learnt that the decision was made by the organizers after a meeting on Sunday evening following completion of group matches.
The game’s kick off delayed for about 10 minutes as the Kenyan contingent complained that three of the Tanzanian players did not have passports, a requisite pre-match document.
The Tanzanians walked out of the tunnel alone and the Kenyan starting players followed behind them sooner after they were already in the pitch.
