Former Murang’a Seal coach salivating for Shabana hot seat

© Mara Sugar FC.

FOOTBALL Former Murang’a Seal coach salivating for Shabana hot seat

Joel Omotto 17:00 - 13.11.2023

The former Shabana player, who lead Murang’a Seal to Premier League promotion, has not ruled out taking over Tore Bobe were he to be approached for the vacant coaching position

Former Murang’a Seal coach Vincent Nyaberi has not ruled out coaching Shabana FC if he was approached for the role.

Nyaberi, who joined National Super League side Mara Sugar last week, is well-versed with Shabana having coached and played for the Glamour Boys and also came up against them in the National Super League (NSL) last season when he was handling Murang’a Seal.

The tactician battled Shabana for the NSL title before eventually missing out to finish second but both teams earned promotion to the FKF Premier League.

Nyaberi was, however, replaced by former Matahre United tactician Gabriel ‘Kingi’ Njoroge at the start of the season, before he opted to decamp, but the foundations he laid have continued to bear fruit as Murang’a Seal are third on the Premier League table, just one point behind leaders Posta Rangers.

Meanwhile, Shabana are at the bottom end of the table with Saturday’s 2-1 win over Nzoia Sugar just their second victory of the season. It came after three straight defeats that led to the sacking of coach Sammy Okoth and as the club searches for a new tactician, Nyaberi is open to the role but with some conditions.

“You cannot turn down a job if an offer came but they have to give you time,” Nyaberi told Pulse Sports.

The tactician feels Okoth paid the price for poor recruitment and that is something he will be seeking to correct were he to land the opportunity.

“If I were to become Shabana coach, by the end of the season we must finish in the top five. When you get into a team, you must look at the strengths and weaknesses so that when you sign a player, you know what they are coming to do,” he added.

“If it is goalkeeping then you get someone who will give the rest competition if it is defence you look for the best defenders.

“You need to look at age and get the player who can serve you long-term not someone whom I will need to replace in the second leg of the season.”

Okoth’s assistant Oscar Kambona took charge on an interim basis following the dismissal of the former Vihiga United coach as the club searches for a permanent replacement.

Former Nzoia Sugar coach Salim Babu, currently serving as Zdravko Logarusic’s assistant at Kenya Police, his immediate former boss Francis Baraza and ex-Tusker FC tactician Sammy ‘Pamzo’ Omollo are some of the names that have been linked with the vacant position at Shabana.

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