Bobby Williamson to take over as Stars coach
After several weeks of rumours, it has now been officially announced that Bobby Williamson will be the coach of Harambee stars.
Musa Otieno the former long serving Harambee stars defender who is the new assistant coach. Simon Mulama, a former Harambee stars midfielder takes over as team manager.
FKF Chairman Sam Nyamweya revealed that he was looking for a coach who understands local football.
“We needed a coach who understands our game and Bobby Williamson is that kind of a coach. He (Williamson) has been around for some time now having been at the helm of Gor Mahia and we hope with our support, he will be able to bring required results.
“We held fruitful discussions with his club Gor Mahia and we want him to start work immediately after he returns from Cecafa Kagame Cup where the league champions will represent Kenya.” he told goal.com.
Williamson had previously coached the Uganda Cranes and took them to the brink of qualifying for the Africa Nations cup. Musa Otieno was one of the most respected players in the South African PSL and previously had a brief stint as a Harambee stars assistant coach. More recently he was a TV analyst. Simon Mulama, once a very promising midfielder had a stint as Nakuru All stars coach. As a player, he played for Mathare United before leaving to play in Egypt and finally on a football scholarship in the USA.
With Kenya out of the qualifiers, it is likely that Williamson’s task as Harambee stars coach will not be as demanding as it was with Zedekiah Otieno. And Kenya rarely enters Olympic qualifiers or All Africa games qualifiers which means Williamson will likely focus on the CECAFA senior challenge cup. One would hope that Gor Mahia officials struck a deal where FKF meets a significant portion of Williamson’s salary.
It must also be pointed out that appointing a new technical bench will hardly change anything. Kenya football has deep structural problems that cannot be fixed with such cosmetic changes.
It wont be a bad idea for him to handle both jobs (Harambee Stars and Gor Mahia) at the same time. However, I wish we get Amrouche. Otherwise best of luck BW. You have been a dedicated servant for Gor Mahia and you helped us with TPL2013!! Congratulations on your new appointment
congrats coaches!you must have been doing something positive at kogalo or is a love affair that began with vojo?
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmh!!! Nyamweya! Gor walikufanyia nini? Every time Gor is strugling to win KPL you always make sure you do something kill that dream.
Look at the assistant, can Bobby leave the Harambee stars to Musa when he committed to K’ogalo?
May be am overreacting, let me preserve my foolishness. NKT
@ # 1 Pmawego why would you want Amrouche. This is the guy responsible for poor fielding. I like Lavatsa but what was he doing in the starting line-up ?
Also Amrouche does not seem mentally stable. He could be banned again.
GM is now atop the league even despite financial problems caused by EC. My take is that GM should try and keep Williamson. If he wins the league then keep him again.
@Joe, the issue of keeping BW is now behind us. He has been appointed elsewhere. Secondly, this issue of poor fielding is a relative thing. Which coach plays to loose a game. In Amrouche’s wisdon, Lavatsa was fit to play. This might not be a view shared by the fans but remember he was the coach. Do not single out Lavatsa for the draw. How many times have you and other people complained of BW’s alleged poor fielding. You asking EC to keep BW is like shedding crocodile tears which I suspect many others will share with you!! You now want to say BW should stay just after he has gone
“I think Bobby Williamsons has tremedious expirience and facets of profesional football,and obviously a level of collegiate expirience that will be great for Harambee stars.everything I’ve seen from him,he is meticulous in what he does,and he clearly has love for Kenyan football.This is a good step for us to build upon the momentum that Kenyan football fraternity needs”
@Pmawego
Bobby Williamson is still coaching Gor Mahia. He will be coaching both teams.
@Joe, thank God. At least we avoid the turbulence. Yet another way EC is driving down the wage bill after shipping out some key players last month!!
Concrats Sir Bobby for the appointment u deserved it,may GOD bless u.
Bobby can easily coach gor mahia and harambee stars , many coaches have done this in the past……infact, I wonder why they think coaching harambee stars is a full time job, we hardly play any friendlies or in major tournaments.
Guys, let’s not panick. The next time HS will play as a team in a competitive game is in November in Ethiopia. At this time our league will be over and it will be good time to decide whether to gift HS BW or make another decision.
All we can say is Congrats to BW. HS needs a sober and patient coach like we currently have at GM. If it was Loga, Emayel, De Jogh etc we would now be in trouble with them in Gor due to our financial position.
I pray that he takes the opportunity n for us shop for a new coach,I have and will always believe that Bobby is best coaching national team than clubs,we are on top but not playing good football
I paused this question when Nyamweya replaced Zico with Nandwa and I am yet to get a convincing answer. Zico had a compact national team squad that was playing some constructive football with lots of patriotism, why did Nyamweya drop him?
We are running in circles and before long BW will be replaced with the same Zico at the national team. Those with short memories please remember how Gor Mahia’s fortunes dipped the moment Zico was hired to handle the national team while retaining his job at K’Ogalo.
It will be interesting how many GM players make it to HS 1st eleven?
BTW coaching HS stars is a full time job in that you have to monitor and identify players fit for national duty.
Will BW have his cake & eat it?
Definately a brilliant financial strategy by EC to share the BW’s salary with FKF but football wise we will just wait & see.
I echo @ BB’s sentiments above we’ve been down this path before & let’s face a soft landing has been created for BW’s exit from GM.
@Barefoot, the dip in form was as a result of Zico being a disorganised person. Zico alikuwa na watu wake kwa timu ya Gor. Those guys had to play even after they had taken one too many the previous night at a local joint. The rest is history. Bobby is cut from another cloth and wait for wonders when we will be declared defending champions!!
@Barefoot, the dip in form was as a result of Zico being a disorganised person. Zico alikuwa na watu wake kwa timu ya Gor. Those guys had to play even after they had taken one too many the previous night at a local joint. The rest is history. Bobby is cut from another cloth and wait for wonders when we will be declared defending champions!!
Gor mahia is a big team hence it needs a full time coach who commits himself fully to the team.Infact timing of this appointment does not auger well with Gor given that we will be competing in the next few days. What will happen incase we are beaten in the next two games with Bobby at the helm? l know fans will shout Bobby haende.Nyamweya awache fitina, first aweke structures in place .
a lesson to all the fans who have a dismissive & belittling attitude which at times borders to hate towards anybody who is trying his level best to do well,that GOD HAS A WAY OF LIFTING THOSE YOU THINK ARE NOT WORTHY
Do we have to lament at everything? If a Gor member gets a better deal we complain. Do we even care how and when the players and TB get paid? This is akin to saying that gor players should not be called to HS since they will have no time for gor. Let prople benefit from their talent
Kogalo is the rock of Kenya football, even when things looks really dim, we are still looked upon to save KENYA.
Gor SIRIKAL kony Harambee Star gi koch
congrats bobby williamson.Thanks for ur commitment to our beloved clubs.
Congratulations,we will support you at HS ,am confident you will go for those small names to do great Job.I remember very well how you natured Timanoah,if you get 11 of them then Kenya will be in the next world cup.
Good luck
Bobby is indeed a great coach n more of a national Team than a club coach, but i think with no urgent game 4 H.S till Nov. He should concentrate on Gor 1st again i insist without right structures n nyamweya at the helm not even Joackim Loew or LVG can save H.S
@Thaddaeus Ogada, Kenya will never go to worldcup because there are no youth structures.
Soccer is taught to children as early as 5 years of age so that by the time they are 21 years they can have what it takes to qualify for worldcup as a team. In Kenya people start to play soccer as late as 14 years and they start with those artificial paper balls which we used to make when we were kids. Just have an analysis of all the teams which participated in the Worldcup; they all had structures.
it is often said…the more things change,the more they remain the same…..