Gor Mahia head coach Roberto Oliveira Goncalves chance to lead Kenya defending Champions in the CAF Champions League campaign is in doubt after a letter from CAF Secretariat indicated that the Brazilian tactician lack relevant papers to lead the Kenya Champions for the prestigious African league.
The team is scheduled to take on APR FC of Rwanda on 28th November 2020 in Kigali.
This is after a letter from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) through their local representative FKF emerged indicating the KPL undisputed Champions’ hear coach does not have a valid CAF License.
The letter to FKF indicates that K’Ogalo Head Coach holds CAF Class C License but not class B as required by new CAF regulations for countries that have not organized any CAF A License for the past five (5) years.
“In respect of the above, we would like to communicate that as per the coaching licenses information received for your engaged clubs, the Head Coach of the bellow mentioned club do not meet the above requirements and consequently will not be allowed to sit on the bench during the matches of the CAF Interclub competitions 2020/21 season”, reads part of the letter.
But Roberto has over 25 coaching experience and has managed several clubs in Africa and the Middle East, with Ryon Sport being his last assignment before joining Gor Mahia.
The head coach sailed Ryon Sport to the CAF Confederation Cup quarter-finals defeating Gor Mahia 2-1 in an intensely contested match played at Kasarani on August 19, 2018 (Gor Mahia falls to Ryon Sports).
But the question lingers as to why and how CAF could not give green light to a tactician who have been n the same tournament for years.
According to former Gor Mahia treasurer Sally Bolo, the club might have been reluctant or ignored to adhere to CAF rule and failed to send relevant documents for the head coach.
“The same Coach has handled clubs in Tunisia and Rayon up to the CAF CC quarter-finals. Does it mean that those clubs did the right thing? We seem to have at the moment none in the club who knows what to do”, Sally wrote on her social media platform.
“Part of the requirements is the qualification of the Head Coach, all have had qualifications from different countries and none has ever had CAF A license but we have always made sure that the papers they hold are equalized as per CAF requirements”, She added.
Roberto joined K’Ogalo to take the place of Steven Polack, who left the club on mutual agreement, and on signing for the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions, he revealed why he Gor Mahia over other clubs.