National Super League side Gusii FC suffered a major blow after their coach Kassim Junior left after just two games into the new season.
Coach Kassim has joined the Division One, Zone 'A' side, Michael Olunga Foundation Academy (MOFA). He was unveiled on Tuesday.
Gusii FC’s chairman Pau Mayieko confirmed the departure of Junior and wished him well.
“He has served us well and we wish him well at his new station. We parted ways on mutual consent after he got that opportunity. We wanted him to be with us because he signed most of the players and was with us throughout our pre-season,” said Mayieko.
He said they have started the process of replacing him. “We already have a shortlist of three names. We want a coach with at least CAF 'C' qualification and has coached in the NSL,” added Mayieko. Kassim led the team to a fifth-place finish in the second-tier league last season.
In the meantime, assistant coach Dennis Onkangi will handle the team.
“Onkangi will handle the team in the next few days. He will be in charge of our game against Nairobi United this weekend. We hope to unveil Kassim’s replacement next weekend,” Mayieko added.
Gusii FC started their 2023/24 campaign on a positive note after beating Vihiga United 5-1 but lost their second game 1-0 against Mombasa Elite in the second match.
Mayieko hopes that his side will bounce back in their game against log leaders and unbeaten Nairobi United. “We want to get back to our winning ways. Our target this season is to qualify for the Kenya Premier League,” he said.
Gusii FC recently entered into a partnership with gaming firm ChapaBet. He said the partnership will be officially unveiled in the next week.
“We are almost done with the negotiations. Having a partner on board will help us achieve our ambitions of qualifying for the KPL,” he said.