Kenya Premier League giants AFC Leopards made a bold move in response to a dismal performance streak by parting ways with their head coach, Tom Juma.
This decision comes after the club’s relentless struggle in the league, with a 2-0 loss to archrivals Gor Mahia on Saturday leaving fans in dismay.
Juma, who took over from Belgian tactician Patrick Aussems in July, failed to steer the club in the right direction.
The team’s winless streak stretched across six games, causing them to plummet to the relegation zone.
Further, the frustration of the loyal Ingwe fans reached a tipping point, leading to the inevitable decision.
In a surprising twist, AFC Leopards is set to rekindle their partnership with a familiar face, Czech Republic national Tomas Trucha, who previously led the team in 2020 for a brief spell before citing threats to his life from passionate fans.
Likewise, the same fate was felt by Juma, with reports of assault attempts by diehard fans after matches.
However, the club legend had remained confident rallying for his boys to remain positive and rescue the situation.
“We can’t dwell on the negative, the only thing we can do is to be positive and work to turn around this situation,” he said after the loss, citing that the team had been progressing well.
Also Read: Kenyan Celebration ‘Faking It’ Featured in FC24: How to Do It
Again, Trucha’s return to the helm has sparked hope among the Ingwe faithful, who remember his previous stint with admiration.
Leopards Captain on Tom Juma exit
Consequently, Leopards’ captain, Washington Munene, expressed his best wishes to Coach Juma for his future endeavors while acknowledging the challenge of accepting his departure.
Munene, who was handpicked as team captain by Juma, revealed his attachment to the outgoing coach and the difficulty in receiving the news.
“We are heading to the gym today (Tuesday), and as the club captain who was named by him, I can’t say that the news of his departure came as good news.
Maybe we did not execute his philosophy or what he wanted from us as players, but now we accept the decision as it is,” he said.
What’s more, Juma’s tenure was marred by a string of unsatisfactory results, including zero wins, four draws, and two losses. Ingwe scored only three goals and conceded six.
The 2-0 defeat to arch-rivals Gor Mahia was the final blow that severed the already tense relationship between the coach and the demanding Ingwe fans.
Ingwe’s Task Ahead
At the same time, with the Kenyan Premier League briefly paused for an international break, the playing unit prepares to embark on a new journey under Coach Tomas Trucha.
Their first assignment is scheduled against Bandari FC on October 22 at the Mbaraki Sports Club in Mombasa.
Amidst the turmoil of a coaching change and disappointing results, AFC Leopards has found solace in the success of their digital ticketing initiative.
In addition, the club recently hosted Gor Mahia FC at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, where they successfully sold a staggering 12,172 tickets.
Also Read: Kelvin Kiptum-From Humble Beginnings to Breaking World Record
This marks the second match in which AFC Leopards has embraced online ticketing, building upon the impressive Ksh1.4 million collection in their previous game against Police FC.
The revenue collected from this match alone amounted to Ksh2,838,300 , a testament to the unwavering support of their dedicated fan base.
