- Harigingo has spent only two months at the club
- He has failed to win any of the first five matches
- Ezekiel Akwana has been named interim coach
After five winless matches, Burundian tactician Francis Harigingo has become the first coaching casualty of the 2023/24 FKF Premier League season after he was sacked by 2009 champions Sofapaka.
The Burundian had a meeting with the club’s management, led by club owner Elly Kalekwa where they reached an amiable decision to part ways. He leaves the club just two months after joining in, and is also sacked alongside his assistant coach Pablo Nduwimana.
“Francis is a top-notch coach; indeed we have started the league badly off than we expected but as you all know we’re still on transition period because we brought in over 16 new players as well as a new technical bench,” club president Kalekwa told the official website.
He added; “It goes without saying that it will take a while before we jell. We shall keep the faith for a better result as we continue to push forward. I am not disappointed considering I had high hopes with my bench and I was willing to be patient with them but as fate would have it ,I will respect his decision of Mutual termination of his contract, and I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”
The club has announced that Ezekiel Akwana, their former player as well as coach, who rejoined the club two weeks ago, will now be the interim coach as they seek other options.
Found life difficult
New Sofapaka coach Francis Harigingo being unveiled
Harigingo has found life in kenya difficult, after losing five matches on the trot after starting off his tenure with a draw against defending champions Gor Mahia.
The results have seen Sofapaka drop down to the root of the standings, and pressure was already piling on him.
In his statement, the tactician has admitted that things did not go as planned for him.
“It was a pleasure working for the 2009 champions. Steering this talented team was a great challenge, even though we did not achieve the desired results,” said the coach.
Haringingo further added, “We have come to a mutual agreement with President Kalekwa, and I would like to thank him for the opportunity to work in the Kenyan Premier League and be a part of a club with a rich history and tradition like Sofapaka FC.”
Craving for improvement of fortunes
New Sofapaka coach Francis Harigingo and his assistant Pablo Uwimana
Batoto ba Mungu had been craving for an improvement in fortunes this season, having struggled over the last several campaigns. A mixture of financial difficulty faced by its owner and a drop in signing of quality players had led to their decline.
However this season, the club went all out, bringing on board 16 new players, among them the return of Burundian forward Abdul Razak Fiston.
However, this has not yielded the desired results as they have failed to click well in time. It was only a matter of time before the tactician walked, and last weekend’s defeat at the hands of struggling Nairobi City Stars proved to be the last straw the Burundian held on.
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