Former AFC Leopards head coach Tom Juma has lashed out at internal politics within the club just days after his controversial sacking.
Appointed at the start of the season, Juma’s tenure at the den was short-lived, yet marked by contention and strife, leading to a current period of crisis for the club.
Leopards has been struggling lately, with a disappointing 2-0 derby defeat to arch-rivals Gor Mahia being the straw that broke the camel’s back.
The loss further jeopardized their position, leaving them second last on the FKF Premier League table.
Juma, in his passionate statement, highlighted the club’s underlying issues.
“This thing called cartels is a big disease eating up and killing this team,” he said, without delving into specific names or events. He continued, “I will not expound much on it, but they are killing this team for sure. There is a committee that was formed to recruit players, something that I have never seen before,” he said as per Citizen Digital.
The former Kenya international frustration was evident as he stressed the vital role of a coach in player selection and recruitment.
“As a coach, you need to have a say in the type of players a team is signing because of your style of play and how you would want to fit certain players into your system. If that is not the case, then there is a big problem,” Juma exclaimed.
Adding salt to the wound, Juma felt his sacking was merely a smokescreen to hide the bigger issues plaguing the club.
“They’re trying to use me as a scapegoat, to sweep the Leopards’ problems under the carpet,” he said, further adding, “For sure it has been a good experience, but unfortunately, things didn’t go as we planned due to these challenges. You go to the training ground and train with the players, but a lot of new players, about 20 from different teams, needed time to gel.”
AFC Leopards’ recent form seems to back Juma’s claims. With only four points from six matches this season, their performance has been underwhelming. The only team to fare worse has been Sofapaka, managing a mere single point.
Amid the unfolding drama, the Leopards are set to welcome Czech tactician Tomas Trucha.
The gaffer was expected in the country on Tuesday night and will be officially unveiled on Friday with the club is expected to make an official statement about the coaching change and likely address the concerns raised by Juma.
