Tusker tactician Robert Matano has been named the Fidelity/SJAK Coach-of-the-Month for September/October following a scintillating run which saw him steer the brewers from relegation to podium.
And the veteran coach did it in bravado including a 4-0 away drubbing of his former team AFC Leopards. Tusker also defeated Thika United 2-0 away, drew two all with Mathare at home and pipped Nzoia 1-0 on home turf. Matano catapulted Tusker from demotion to third spot beating his Kariobangi Sharks counterpart William Muluya.
In winning the award, Matano, a former AFC Leopards player, took home a personalised trophy and Sh75,000 courtesy of award sponsors Fidelity Insurance.
Matano, who joined the Ruaraka outfit in April 2018, was all smiles at Tusker’s Ruaraka training grounds and attributed his good run to team cohesion, focus and experienced coaching.
“Last season, we started off on a very delicate note but we persevered, soldiered on and started playing well at some point,” said Matano.
Asked how he managed to pull a credible position on the log, Matano added: “Anytime I come to a team, I always analyse situations and envisage the best possible ways to solve problems. When I joined the team, I did try to bring the team players together and impart some valuable coaching experience. Tusker is one of the biggest clubs in Kenya and if we can’t beat teams like Gor or Leopards in a season then we would have done nothing.”
Fidelity Insurance marketing and business development manager, Nicholas Malesi congratulated Matano for his prowess in the short stint he has been with the brewers.
“We have had this partnership for the last three years and negotiations are at advanced stage to renew it for the fourth year. We’ve seen a lot of transparency and operating above board. I take this opportunity to congratulate Matano for a job well done and SJAK for their organisation,” Malesi said.