SPL Champions Gor May Need Interim Coach If Oktay Isn't Back In Time

6th August 2019 - by Louis Kalinga

The Turkish-Cypriot tactician guided Gor to a third successive SportPesa Premier League (SPL) title with the help of his assistant Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno, who has since left to become coach of KCB

Hassan Oktay. PHOTO | Louis Kalinga | SPN

SUMMARY

Gor Mahia FC chairman Ambrose Rachier has stated that the record Kenyan league winners may need to hire an interim coach if Hassan Oktay cannot return in time for before their CAF Champions League first round tie\
Oktay asked for leave of absence from the club to fly back to his home in the United Kingdom to sort out urgent family matters, leaving assistant Patrick Odhiambo in charge
Gor are scheduled to travel to Burundi on Friday, August 9 for the first round qualifier and Rachier hopes the next few days can offer a window for a solution to be arrived at

NAIROBI, Kenya- Gor Mahia FC chairman Ambrose Rachier has stated that the record Kenyan league winners may need to hire an interim coach if Hassan Oktay cannot return in time for before their CAF Champions League first round tie away to Burundi’s Aigle Noir on Sunday.

Oktay asked for leave of absence from the club to fly back to his home in the United Kingdom to sort out urgent family matters, leaving assistant Patrick Odhiambo in charge.

“I last talked to him on Thursday and he wasn’t sure yet when he will return. I will get back in touch with him and see when he will return.

“If it will be hard for him to return, then in the extreme we might be forced to hire an interim coach for this game,” Rachier explained.

“Our current assistant Patrick Odhiambo does not have a CAF A license or its equivalent and the rules stipulate he cannot be on the touchline.

“I want to ask the coach if he can come back even just for this one match then we see whether he can go back and solve his issues,” he added.

Gor are scheduled to travel to Burundi on Friday, August 9 for the first round qualifier and Rachier hopes the next few days can offer a window for a solution to be arrived at.

In addition to the numbers leaving the most decorated club, Burundi forward Francis Mustapha is also set to leave before the start of the 2019/20 SPL season.

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Mustapha, who was part of the Burundi side making their debut in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, joins heavyweights Jacques Tuyisenge and Francis Kahata who also left seeking greener pastures.

Gor went ahead to release their official CAF squad on their twitter handle, which includes record Kenyan goal scorer Dennis Oliech, who was recently promoted to the technical bench to assist Odhiambo following Oktay’s departure.