The writing has been on the wall for a while now, and veteran coach Robert Matano has parted ways with Tusker FC as the head coach after the expiry of his contract. A fallout with the club hierarchy early last season, and public exchanges between him and chairman Charles Gacheru meant it was just a matter of time before the two parties severed ties. Despite reporting for pre-season on Monday, the uncompromising Matano will not be at Tusker’s dugout when the new season starts.##NAJAVA_MECA_8215773##Matano spent six years in his second stint as the club’s tactician, leading them to two league titles—although one was annulled when FKF was reinstated in 2022 and decided to cancel the season that was run by the government-installed FKF Caretaker Committee.The “Lion,” as he is mostly referred to in football circles, is not only the most successful coach at Tusker FC but also the most successful local coach in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League. Not even a foreign coach has won the league more times than Matano, who has three league titles, four if you consider the 2021/2022 season. He previously won it in 2009 with Sofapaka in their debut season and in 2012 in his first stint with Tusker FC.Former AFC Leopards forward delighted to return to action after horrific road accidentThe tactician rejoined Tusker FC in April 2018 from AFC Leopards with the task of delivering the League title and ending the dominance of Gor Mahia at that time. The former AFC Leopards coach built a formidable team at Tusker, and even though he had to wait a little longer, he eventually won the FKF Premier League in the 2020/2021 season to end Gor Mahia’s four-year dominance. He later defended the league title in the controversial 2021/2022 season, beating Kakamega Homeboyz to the title by a superior goal difference after tying on points. However, that season was declared null and void by FKF.He is well-known for his strictness and winning mentality. This was evident in his team’s performance in the league. Throughout his six-year second stint, he never finished outside the top four teams.When will the Lion roar again? With his profile and track record in the league, coupled with qualification challenges that have hit most FKF Premier League clubs following communication by FKF that requires head coaches to have at least been CAF A graduates, is expected to be highly sought after in the transfer market.Other FKF Premier League clubs that the Lion has previously led include World Hope (Nairobi City Stars), Sofapaka FC, Kenya Pipeline, Bidco United, AFC Leopards, and Ulinzi Stars.Playoff hero Kalama call for proper pre-season preparations ahead new season
