FKF President Nick Mwendwa with new coach Paul Put. [Photo/nation.co.ke]
Newly-hired Harambee Stars’ Belgian coach Paul Put has a bag full of goodies and aspirations, the major of which is guiding the team to the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar.
The 61-year-old, who will be deputized by Stanley Okumbi, said he knows Kenya as an athletics powerhouse and fails to see why the country cannot replicate the same in the revered game of football.
The tactician made the remarks yesterday after paying a courtesy call on Sports Principal Secretary Peter Kaberia two days after penning a two-year contract with Football Kenya Federation (FKF) to coach Stars.
The tactician said his short-term goal is striving to steer the team to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, but noted that a lot of work needs to be done to realize his ambitions especially now when his immediate task is to lead the team in the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup set for Kenya next month.
“Fans should not expect results overnight but once the team is provided with what is necessary by the authorities, then that is when we will start talking about the team making headway. Obviously, Kenya is blessed with a plethora of talent and that is what I want to build on going forward,” added Put.
The tactician has his work cut out after FKF president Nick Mwendwa said that he will also be at the helm of the Under-23 and Under-17 sides as well. “There will be absolutely no interference on his job by the federation and his predecessor will be on standby to help him pick the right players,” said Mwendwa.
The FKF supremo said three-quarters of Put’s salary will be paid for by betting firm SportPesa, adding that the federation has been assured by the government that it will cater for the remaining amount. Put’s last working station was in Algeria where he coached USM Alger having had previous stints in South Africa, the Gambia and Burkina Faso whom he steered to the 2013 AFCON.