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KENYA
NIGERIA
Pamzo was and still is for me, the best young coach in Kenya by a long way.
And I still insist that his removal from the club was a mistake, especially considering the complexities in terms of timing and where other clubs are at the moment.
However, like an old girlfriend, we have to move on to the next pretty thing that comes along the way.
Quickly moved on
And we did..
Quicker that we could find a re- bound, the latest pretty girl in town arrived.
Well, she isn't pretty or nice, but will do just fine.
Her name, rather his, is the unforgiving Robert Matano.
In his past life, he has created a profile that is scary as hell. He is the mad man in town, the ghost of ghosts and chief disciplinarian. If I go American, he is the bad ass in the building.
Good for Tusker?
Matano is a hard man by nature. He is like the bad school principal, the one that would silence a hall full of adolescent boys.
He is known as the LION for those with a footballing knowledge, because of his methods.
Legend says that he has at one time beaten some players to submission and that in his previous life, he actually cracked the whip (literally) on some players.
He is not the hiding behind excuses type. He says what he wants and if he gets no response, he beats it the hell out of someone.
Question is, will his style work for Tusker, a club that is as old- school as the Mau Mau?
Jury is out
I really don't know.
Tusker has a group of players that are inclined to beleive they have power. I heard that a couple of players were behind the sacking of Omollo and former Team Manager Neville Pudo.
Matano will not be nice to them, he will not offer them hugs after a training session. He will be nasty, he will say bad things, he will be a Miguna Miguna type fella.
Knowing the club like I do, I am not so sure it will work, but I stand to be corrected.
Too late
That aside, what I do know is that there is not time for dropped points and missed opportunities.
Matano will need to lift the team and motivate the players without hurting too many's ego's in the process. To be successful, he must have more friends than enemies in the dressing room.
AFC Leopards have slipped up lately, as have Gor Mahia, Sofapaka, and the rest will do so too. Tusker need to take advantage of that.
Matano will motivate them to give their best in the remainder of the season. Will it be enough to retain the KPL title?
I just don't know....
