Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has disbanded the entire Harambee Stars squad and technical bench with immediate effect after they failed to qualify for 2015 African Cup of Nations final group stage qualifiers on Sunday.
Stars were bundled out in the pre-qualifiers by Lesotho who won 1-0 on aggregate after settling for a goalless stalemate in the second round return leg in Nairobi.
FKF president Sam Nyamweya said the technical bench failed to deliver despite being given ‘all the necessary support’ and another national team would be formed soon.
“We have given the technical bench everything they requested for including bringing foreign based players which is a very expensive exercise since we spent over Sh6.5m in tickets.
“They have let Kenyans down and the consequence is that we have fired the entire technical bench and disbanded the national team. As a federation we will put emphasis on youth and ensure we play many friendlies,” Nyamweya told Capital Sport moments after Stars were eliminated.
He added, “Preparations were good because we paid all their allowances and facilitated whenever they wanted to be in camp, so it’s unfortunate we lost but I blame the technical bench for the loss.”
Commenting on the appeal they launched against sacked head coach Adel Amrouche, who was slapped with a one-year ban by CAF for allegedly spitting on a match official in Comoros, Nyamweya said it’s upon the Belgian to follow it up.
“It’s not our appeal, the appeal is for the coach, it’s upon him to proceed with it if he want which I’m sure is following up on it. It’s not the federation that is penalized it’s an individual.
“Our duty was to facilitate by giving him part of his salary because it’s an expensive excise. We have been in solidarity with him in this difficult time,” Nyamweya explained.
The president assured football fans they will appoint the new technical bench as soon as possible, “We will sit down with Executive Committee Members to start the excise of searching for a new coach as soon as possible because we are not going to leave the vacuum for long.”
Those affected by the axe are Amrouche who was hired early last year, his two assistant coaches, James Nandwa and Ken Odhiambo, goal keeper trainer Iddi Salim as well as technical director Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee.
The team had a poor outing in the 2015AFCON pre-qualifiers after narrowly sailing through in the opener 2-1 on aggregate against Comoros before bowing out on Sunday.
Kenya who in the continental showpiece a decade ago, will have to sit in the cold for the next two years.
Source: Capital FM