Paul Put: All You Need To Know About The New Harambee Stars Coach

Belgian coach Paul Put has been appointed the new Harambee Stars coach, replacing under-fire coach Stanley Okumbi.

The appointment comes a few weeks before the CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup kicks off in Kenya on December 3.

Mr. Put signed a two-year deal with the Football Kenya Federation which made the announcement on Saturday afternoon at its fifth Annual General Meeting.

Read Also: CECAFA Challenge Cup: Kenya To Host Competition After CHAN Denial

“This is the big announcement today. We have been consulting on how to restructure to strengthen Harambee Stars technical bench, and Paul Put is our new head coach,” said FKF boss Nick Mwendwa.

“He is the best person we have found, and we believe the journey to Afcon 2019 is still a reality even as he takes over,” he added.

The Belgian will take immediate charge of the side and it is understood that Okumbi will act as his deputy.

Stanley Okumbi had been under intense pressure to be booted out due to the catastrophic performances by The Stars.

Under his stewardship, the national team has been inconsistent; winning non- consequential friendlies, but failing to stamp their authority in key qualifiers.

In Put’s acceptance speech, he said he will deliver “500 percent”.

“I’m ambitious. This is a sign Kenya has confidence in me,” he said. “I’m here to win prices. It is time to write a new page for Kenya and it is possible to raise Kenyan flag high.”

Brief Look At Paul Put

Paul Put is a 61-year-old Belgian coach, who before his appointment to take charge of the Harambee Stars, was the manager of USM Alger.

He has previously managed Belgian club sides Geel, Lokeren and Lierse, before being banned for three-years by the Royal Belgian Football Association for his alleged involvement in the Ye Zheyun match-fixing scandal.

Read Also: FIFA Rankings: Harambee Stars Drop to 102 In Latest Compilation

He managed the Gambian national team between 2008 and 2011, before being appointed as manager of Burkina Faso in March 2012.

He guided Burkina Faso to the finals of the 2013 African Cup of Nations where his side was narrowly beaten by Nigeria.

He left his role as Burkina Faso manager in February 2015, heading to Jordan to manage its national team. Put resigned less than a year later following a two-week suspension by the Jordan Football Association on December 20, 2015.

In 2016, he was shortlisted for the Guinea national team job but did not get the nod. Later in the year, he took up the role as the new coach of USM Alger for two years.

In 2017, he was again among a number of managers shortlisted for the vacant Rwanda national team manager role but was overlooked.

Kenya has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup and last played in the African Cup Of Nations thirteen years ago. FKF and the whole of Kenya’s football-loving fans will be hoping their new well-traveled manager can lift the team to the heights they expect.