Cant learn; wont learn: Leopards plot to drop Kimani

The future of Anthony ‘Modo’ Kimani as AFC Leopards head coach is in limbo.

The club have been pushing on with their quest of hiring a foreign tactician and they appear determined to fulfil the objective.

Kimani took over the hot seat in January after the abrupt exit of Rwandan Casa Mbungo and managed to steady the ship so well, with meticulous planning, yielding admirable results.

Thanks to his magic, Leopards ended the campaign, by the time the league was halted, at position six on 40 points, 14 behind eventual champions Gor Mahia.

During this stint, he led the big cats in nine Kenyan Premier League matches winning six – against Zoo FC, Wazito, Kisumu All Stars, Ulinzi Stars, Sofapaka and Chemelil Sugar FC while losing three – to Posta Rangers, Tusker FC and Gor Mahia.

It is an admirable record factoring the poor shape the team were in and the negative energy bordering on non-payment of salaries and bonuses.

But despite it all he helped the club navigate the rough terrain.

Fast forward it is unimaginable that with finances now trickling in, club honchos led by Chairman Dan Shikanda are entertaining the thoughts of going for an expensive foreign coach who, in most cases, will be the first to take off at the sight of trouble, more so financially.

Shikanda has been on record saying the club is out to beef the technical bench.

“For now Kimani is the AFC (Leopards) coach. We are strengthening the team and trying to see if we can do that in all the departments,”Shikanda said.

Asked as to whether Kimani will be in charge of the team when the new season starts, the Leopards boss was non-committal.

Hear him speak: “Not necessarily, we are strengthening the team, we are talking to several people and we will ensure that we have a strong team from the playing unit, technical bench as well as to the secretariat.”

Kimani, on his part, has refuted claims that he is leaving the country for studies while at the same time declining to comment on his coaching fate at Leopards.