President Hussein Mohamed has revealed that Football Kenya Federation (FKF) will name a new national team coach within a week.Stars have not been without a substantive coach since the resignation of Turkish Engin Firat last year.Firat resigned shortly after Hussein’s election, citing a year-long delay in salary payments, and would go on to warn of further action if his dues were not settled. Currently, Francis Kimanzi is serving as the interim coach while preparing to take on his new role as the federation’s technical director.##NAJAVA_MECA_8625165##The search for a new coach is in its final stages, with South African Benni McCarthy set to be appointed as the new coach, barring any last-minute changes. After a series of interviews led by FKF Vice President McDonald Mariga, McCarthy, the former manager of Manchester United forwards, emerged as the top candidate.Hussein expressed confidence in naming the new coach soon, explaining that only a few details remain to be finalized.”FKF is looking for a substantive coach and a competent technical bench to achieve our objectives. It is an ongoing process, which is why the current technical bench was appointed on an interim basis. We will provide an update on the new coach in a week or so after tying up the loose ends,” Hussein told The Nation.”I will forever be a fan”- Oyugi on leaving TuskerHe also ruled out the possibility of Kimanzi returning as the permanent coach, reiterating that he is only serving on an interim basis. “We made it clear that Kimanzi is the interim coach, and that remains the case,” Hussein added.He concluded by stressing the importance of avoiding financial disputes with coaches, referencing the costly payout of over KES 100 million awarded to former Stars coach Adel Amrouche after taking Kenya to FIFA in 2016.”We want to get things right, given the contractual obligations and the journey ahead. We have faced significant challenges with coaches in terms of paying their dues, and we don’t want to fall into a similar trap,” he said.The new coach’s first assignment is likely to be the CHAN tournament in February or the World Cup qualifiers in March.Alphonce Omija on what it meant to captain Harambee Stars
