AFC Leopards have moved to dispel rumours that head coach Patrick Aussems has quit his role at the club.
On Tuesday, the social media was awash with reports that the Belgian gaffer had ditched the traditional Kenyan giants for Rwanda Premier League side, Kiyovu Sports.
The rumours were further fueled by an article carried in the News-Times — an English newspaper in Rwanda — indicating that Aussems had arrived in Kigali to seal a three-year deal with the club.
Local football enthusiasts became even more curious after stumbling across photos circulating on social media that showed Aussems meeting Kiyovu’s president Juvenal Mvukiyehe.
Kiyovu Sports are in the market for a new coach after tactician Francis Haringingo, who guided them to a second-place finish in the concluded season, decamped to rivals Rayon Sports.
However, in an exclusive interview on Wednesday, both AFC Leopards chairman Dan Shikanda and the club's assistant coach Tom Juma trashed the reports as mere speculations.
“This is ridiculous. We have not received any official communication from the coach about his decision to leave the club. Like anyone else, I've just heard about the reports on social media,” Shikanda said.
“As far as we are concerned, Aussems is still very much part of us. In case he decides to leave, then we shall let you know officially,” Shikanda said.
Assistant coach, Tom Juma, was equally not amused with the reports.
“We are now getting used to such rumours. We were in the same situation last year when Aussems took a break to spend time with his family. After all the talk about his departure, he eventually returned to continue with his job.
Juma took charge of Ingwe's two final fixtures of the season, where they first settled for a one-all draw with Nairobi City Stars before crushing 3-1 to Nzoia Sugar.
Aussems left the country on June 2, a day after overseeing the side's heartwrenching 6-5 loss to arch-rivals Gor Mahia in the Madaraka Day Cup final at Nyayo Stadium. The tactician said he was taking a break to concentrate on family.
“Goodbye Nairobi! After 8 months of living alone, it's time for me to enjoy my family: my wife and my sons who returned from Canada to spend a few days with us,” Aussems posted on his official tweeter account.
“Ingwe fans, staff and players: finish on the last 2 games the good job we have done so far ...See you soon!”
Ingwe wrapped up the season in the fifth position with 46 points, and 14 adrift champions Tusker.
Meanwhile, Shikanda has ruled out the possibility of recruiting new players ahead of next season given the transfer embargo imposed by the world football governing body, Fifa, is still on.
“We shall be banking on the current crop of players to bring the title home. They proved their capacity by clinching the Elijah Lidonde Memorial Cup which had four Kenyan Premier League clubs.”
