Leopards’ Den divided over Minnaert’s future

A section of disgruntled AFC Leopards fans have given Belgian coach, Ivan Minnaert a week’s ultimatum to turn around results or they will engineer his forceful removal from the Den with others calling for patience in rebuilding the club.

The Kenyan Premier League (KPL) giants started their second leg of the season with a dispiriting 1-0 loss to bogey team Chemelil Sugar to push them closer to the drop zone in 13th.

This was after Minnaert led a mid season clear out at the Den in an effort to weed out players he labelled under-performing with further reports indicating he has been summoned along his technical bench by the Interim Management Committee (IMC) for a crisis meeting.

Pressure is mounting on the former Rayon Sports SC to win Saturday’s fixture Thika United in Mumias.

“We must win against Thika,” IMC co-chairman, Dan Mule said rumping up the heat.

“My only worry is, we might give him time enough and be relegated. Ivan isn’t in charge of things. Some outside forces are running things in the club,” a supporter Lodovick Mutsotso commented.

“If they (IMC) can’t respond now …wacha tupatane mundu khu mundu (lets go man to man),” another; Chacks Godfrey added.

When contacted, Minnaert curtly replied, “Let them do what they want to do,” before cutting short any other questioning.

Fans opposed to the ‘Minnaert Out’ crusade point out the club requires intense rebuilding after a tumultuous period of managerial circus and financial difficulty.

“We’ve just signed new players. My kind request let’s give TB some time guys , Ivan came in when players had already been signed – now that he has signed his players let’s give him some time – Rome wasn’t built in a single match/day,” one calling himself Prince Raymond Gabriel underscored.

The club’s Co-treasurer; Asava Kadima urged fans to be patient pointing out it was wrong for the coach to be put under pressure before he moulds the new team.

Ingwe shed 16 players and brought in 11 players in the June transfer window according to the Football Kenya Federation transfer list.

“I think fans should give the office ultimatum not players and technical bench. Ultimatums build unnecessary pressure when played in public and can be used to settle personal scores.

We have assembled a new look team and we all have to be patient and give support. The team will soon be ready and get back to winning. I am now focused on winning GOtv Shield this term and the title next year,” the former Secretary General maintained.

Last month, his successor as secretary general; Maurice Osundwa questioned the criteria Minnaert used to axe ‘none performing’ players arguing the coach was supposed to walk out for not delivering to expectations.