Photo Credit - Football Kenya Federation.
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has announced the appointment of veteran Francis Kimanzi as the Football Development Director.
Kimanzi was serving as the Harambee Stars interim coach until the appointment of Benni McCarthy. “FKF is pleased to announce the appointment of Francis Kimanzi as the new Football Development Director,” read a statement from FKF.
“Kimanzi, a highly experienced coach with an extensive background in Kenyan football, steps into this role as the federation seeks to strengthen its structures, nurture local talent, and foster sustainable growth within the sport.
“The federation extends its full support to Kimanzi as he takes on this vital responsibility.”
Speaking on Kimanzi’s appointment, FKF Secretary General Harold Ndege said: “We are confident that Mr Kimanzi’s leadership and expertise will play a pivotal role in advancing our development agenda and shaping the future of Kenyan football.”
About Kimanzi?
Kimanzi played club football for Mathare United between 1994 and 2002, before becoming manager. He was appointed full-time manager of the Kenyan national side Harambee Stars on December 11, 2008, having held the post as a caretaker since May 2008.
He was sacked from the post of national team coach after the 2008 CECAFA Cup in January 2009 due to disputes between him and the Kenyan football administrators. After a one-year spell coaching club side Sofapaka, he was re-appointed as the head coach of the Kenyan national team in November 2011.
In June 2012 he was sacked as manager of Kenya alongside his entire coaching staff after Kenya failed to qualify for the 2013 African Cup of Nations (AFCON). After coaching Tusker, he returned to Mathare United as manager in 2015.
In August 2019, he was linked with a return to the Kenya national team. He returned to the Kenyan national team as manager in August 2019. In October 2020, he was dismissed from coaching Kenya. In November 2020 he became manager of defunct Wazito FC.
Before the appointment of McCarthy, Kimanzi was working as the coach of Harambee Stars on an interim basis and took the team to Zanzibar in January for the invitational Mapinduzi Cup tournament where they failed to go past the group stage.
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