Kenyan tacticians benefit from Hull City coaching clinic

Kenyan tacticians benefit from Hull City coaching clinic

Select local coaches and players started a three-day clinic conducted by three elite trainers from English second division side, Hull City Academy, in Nairobi on Tuesday in an initiative dubbed ‘coaches to count on’.

The trio; Richard O’Donnell and Daniel O’Keefe, together with the club’s Group Commercial Manager Joe Clutterbrook landed in the country on Monday evening to facilitate the exercise aimed at improving football standards in Kenya.

Seven male and three female coaches who were selected through a course offered by the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) which has been ongoing since 2016 with 14 reserve players from  Shield champions, Kariobangi Sharks FC also benefiting from the clinic.

Sharks will host English Premier League side, Everton FC at the MISC Kasarani Stadium on July 7 as reward for winning the eight-team regional knockout Cup in Dar-es-Salaam in January.

The Hull coaches returned to the country almost a year after the Tigers played SPL titleholders and leaders, Gor Mahia FC at Kasarani in a sold out friendly that ended 4-3 in favour of the visitors on post-match penalties after the teams shared a barren stalemate.

It’s great to be back in Kenya and again for a very worthy cause.  Today (Tuesday) went well and we are very excited for the two days we have left to instil the knowledge we have to the coaches and players at our disposal.

“Such initiatives bring opportunities with them and that’s most important. We plan to help in every way we can because there is no lack of football talent in Kenya,” O’Donnell, who was part of the coaches that selected the All Stars team that travelled to England to play the Tigers at KCOM Stadium in 2016 stated.

National women’s team Harambee Starlets head coach, David Ouma, one of the local tacticians involved in the exercise that concludes on Thursday, hailed the clinic that is the latest technical exchange programme that leverages on partnerships with European football teams and leagues to develop the local game.

“The greatest thing and is always a good step is to give players and coaches such exposure. The instructors from Hull who are controlling this course have a deeper understanding of the game and English style of play. It’s a great initiative to have them coming to train our local coaches,” Ouma told.

“This will help get our players ready for scouting opportunities that may come in the future which will be great for the country as a whole,” the tactician who led Starlets to the 2016 Africa Women Cup of Nations in Cameroon emphasised.

Christine Anjala who is the head coach of FKF National Women Premier League outfit Spedag FC, Shimanzi Youth FC as well as training primary schools echoed Ouma’s remarks.

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