Kenyan champions Gor Mahia have turned to Sammy ‘Pamzo’ Omollo, albeit on interim basis, as their head coach of their Caf Champions League first leg preliminary match away to Rwanda’s APR next weekend.
Gor surprisingly appointed Pamzo, who is the current Posta Rangers head coach after Caf slapped a ban on their head coach, Roberto Oliveira, for failing to meet the set qualifications under the new guidelines.
Under the new regulations, a coach in charge of Caf matches must hold a Caf Level ‘B’ Licence or an equivalent of the UEFA Pro Certificate.
K’Ogalo were further dealt a blow after Football Kenya Federation president Nick Mwendwa hinted that the Brazilian gaffer was unqualified to take charge of Kenyan Premier League matches.
Oliveira, who led another Rwandese outfit — Rayon Sports — to the quarter-finals of the 2018 Caf Confederations Cup, had his credentials apparently fall within the Caf Level ‘C’ bracket thus making him ineligible to lead his troops from the dugout.
Club chairman Ambrose Rachier, who was on Monday holed up in a meeting with Oliveira, confirmed that Pamzo will take charge against the Rwandese giants.
“We have settled on Sammy Omollo to be the stand-in coach for the team in Rwanda as we try to sort out the current coach’s (Roberto) issue with CAF. That means, Sammy will lead the technical bench as Roberto is not allowed to be on the touchline until the issue is sorted,” said Rachier.
Should Gor manage to go through the APR test, they will book a second round ticket against the winner in a match between Algeria’s CR Belouizdad and Libya’s El Nasr.
