Kenya's National Amputee Football Team faces turmoil as coach Dalmas Otieno is dismissed amid federation mismanagement just before a major tournament.
The Kenya National Amputee Football Federation (KAFF) has unexpectedly terminated its relationship with the head coach of the national men's team Dalmas Otieno just two weeks before their participation in the Amputee Africa Cup of Nations Tournament set to take place from May 18 to 30, 2024, in Cairo, Egypt.
Otieno, who has been at the helm since August 2023, was blindsided by the decision having prepared the team diligently since January of this year.
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The former Kenya international has since released a detailed statement expressing his concerns and the challenges he faced during his tenure shedding light on the internal conflicts plaguing KAFF.
“As the head coach of the Kenya National Amputee Football Team, I feel compelled to address several pressing concerns regarding the management and conduct of the Kenya Amputee Football Federation,” Otieno stated.
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The gaffer revealed that despite his efforts and the support of his technical team his attempts to engage with the KAFF Executive were met with silence.
"Despite repeated attempts to engage with the KAFF Executive for formal introductions of our technical team, we have encountered silence and neglect," Otieno elaborated.
The preparation phase for the team was fraught with difficulties, primarily due to a lack of support from the federation.
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Otieno pointed out the federation's failure to provide essential training equipment like balls, bibs, and jerseys, forcing the players to purchase training jerseys out of their own pockets.
"During this entire time, none of the Kenya Amputee Football Federation - KAFF officials have attended trainings or met the team, which has been deeply troubling and discouraging," he added.
The situation reached a critical point when Otieno discovered irregularities in the visa application process for the upcoming tournament with undeserving players being instructed to pursue visas while key members of the final squad were overlooked.
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Furthermore, Otieno criticized the KAFF for its lack of democratic processes, noting that the federation has not held elections for over a decade, which raises serious concerns about governance and accountability.
"Most concerning is the KAFF Executive's failure to hold elections for the past decade, despite repeated efforts to facilitate democratic processes within the federation," he stressed.
The former striker has now called upon the Kenya Ministry of Sports and other relevant stakeholders to intervene.
“I urge the Kenya Ministry of Sports, and other relevant stakeholders to take immediate action in addressing these critical issues within the Kenya Amputee Football Federation and prioritize the welfare and future of the Kenya National Amputee Football Team that is currently under jeopardy.”
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