Harambee Stars coaches Mulee, Muhiddin fired

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has on Wednesday night announced the sacking of Harambee Stars head coach Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee and his assistant Twahir Muhiddin.

Goalkeeping coach Haggai Azande has also been fired, Ken Odhiambo and William Muluya, who also came in alongside Mulee in the team last year surviving the chop.

Shockingly, the move comes just three weeks ahead of the crucial World Cup qualifier against West African powerhouses Mali in Morocco, set for October 6.

In a press release sent to newsrooms, FKF Secretary General Barry Otieno broke the unexpected news saying the decision was arrived at by mutual consent.

“FKF and Harambee Stars head coach Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee, his assistant Twahir Muhiddin and goalkeeping coach Haggai Azande have reached a decision to part ways by mutual consent effective immediately.

“Assistant coaches Ken Odhiambo and William Muluya will remain in the team as the federation works to reconstruct the Harambee Stars technical bench ahead of the 2022 World Cup qualifier against Mali, scheduled for October 6 and 12 respectively,” read part of the release.

Ironically, FKF went on to thank the duo for their “dedicated service and workmanship,” wishing them all the best in their future endeavours, having served only for 11 months.

Mulee who was in the Harambee Stars bench for the fifth time, led stars in only six competitive matches, four in the botched 2022 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) set for Cameroon and two in the current Qatar World Cup qualifiers.

In the six matches, he won only one, 2-1 against Togo away to Lome, drawing Egypt and Comoros (both 1-1) at home in the (AFCON) qualifiers. He went on to lose 2-1 to the lowly ranked Comoros away in Moroni, a result that confirmed Stars would not return to the biggest African football fiesta in succession.

There was high hopes for the veteran coach to start off the Qatar World Cup qualifiers on a winning note, but only managed a barren stalemate against an arguably dull Uganda Cranes a fortnight ago in Nairibi, and a 1-1 draw against Rwanda in Kigali.

Poignantly, an unending rigmarole among disgruntled fans has characterised Mulee’s short tenure, since his appointment when he took over from Francis Kimanzi who had justifiably started off the 2022 AFCON qualifiers on a positive note.

Kimanzi had forced a 1-1 draw against Egypt, before drawing Togo with a similar score at home but was shown the door immediately after leading Stars to a 2-1 win over Zambia in a friendly, ahead of the Comoros double header.

As if Mulee had foreseen how his tenure would end, during his unveiling at the Safari Park Hotel on October 21, 2020, he said it would not be a shock if it would be short-lived.

“Coaching is among the most temporary jobs you can talk about. I was here before and left. Of course I come under a different dispensation and with a new mission. My mind is fully on the coming game (against Comoros) so I don’t want to talk much about what would happen if we don’t qualify for the AFCON. I’m positive about it,” he told.

According to Otieno, the search for a new coach is already on, hinting an announcement will be made soon.

Since the current FKF regime under Nick Mwendwa took over in 2016, Stanley Okumbi, Belgian Paul Putt, Frenchman Sebastien Migne, Francis Kimanzi and Mulee have taken charge of Harambee Stars.