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| MULEE back as Harambee Stars' coach |
After having talks with the KFF, Jacob "Ghost" MULEE confirmed on Monday 12 March that he has been reinstated as coach of Kenya national team on a part-time basis for the moment. Because he is presently training the championship-team Tusker with a contract which ends in 2008, he cannot accept a full-time job with the Harambee Stars.
The KFF sent a letter to Tusker requesting them to release MULEE, so that he can head up the national team in a full-time role. Besides, Kenya which was recently reinstalled to the international game by FIFA on Friday 9 March 2007 asked CAF to delay for three weeks the qualifying match for the African Cup of Nations 2008 against Swaziland due to be played in Nairobi on 24 March. Unfortunately for Kenya, CAF's answer to the request is 'no', said KFF secretary Sammy OBINGO on Tuesday 13 March. He added that the game will not be played but on 25 March, to avoid a clash with the World Cross Country Championship in Mombasa.
MULEE's relationships in dealing with KFF look like a serial. He coached the Harambee Stars from year 2003 to 2004 but was sacked after the 2004 African Nations Cup finals in Tunisia becaused he had criticised officials of the KFF. In December 2005 a splinter group of the KFF recognised by former minister of Sports OCHILLO AYACKO recalled MULEE to lead the national team during a four-nation tournament in Egypt. That decision was sanctioned by Dan OMINO the secretary general of that splinter group but Alfred SAMBU, the only chairman recognised of the KFF recognised by FIFA rejected it. SAMBU had been removed from office by a splinter group led by Mohamed HATIMY, following a special general meeting in August 2005 during which members had passed a vote of no confidence in him at a time when he was bedridden after an accident. Unfortunately for the splinter group FIFA deputy-secretary general Jerome CHAMPAGNE had specified that FIFA still recognised SAMBU as the KFF boss.
That same December 2005 MAINA KAMANDA replaced OCHILLO AYACKO as Kenya Sports minister and since then things seem to have changed. Mohamed HATIMY who was leading the splinter group of the KFF condemned by FIFA in 2005 is now president ad interim of the KFF and is now recognised by the same FIFA whose Emergency Committee has on Friday 9 March decided to grant Kenya football a conditional lifting of the suspension imposed on 24 October 2006.
Expressing his satisfaction to be back as coach of the Harambee Stars MULEE told BBC Sport on Monda 12 that sense of duty persuaded him to take charge of the national team. "When duty calls, you have to do it," said he. MULEE led Kenya to its only victory in a Nation Cup finals match in Tunisia 2004.
Samuel MBAJUM
(Source: Piers EDWARDS; and John NENE, BBC Sport correspondant in Nairobi.)
18/03/2007 |
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