Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has announced that it has re-appointed Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee as Kenya’s national team coach. Mulee who returns after a 10-year absence has been handed a three-year deal and he replaces Francis Kimanzi who parted ways with the team on Tuesday.
The tactician was officially unveiled on Wednesday 21 October and has been charged with the task of leading Kenya’s Harambee Stars back to the Total Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to be hosted by Cameroon in 2022 as well as giving a strong shot at the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers set to start in June next year.
“He is Kenyan and knows Kenyan football,” newly re-elected FKF President Nick Mwendwa said. “He has been there, done that. He has been to the Africa Cup of Nations before and now he has another chance to be there and use that knowledge to try and do better.”
The 52-year-old Mulee had four previous spells as Harambee Stars coach. The highlight of his career was leading Kenya to the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia. He also led them to various CECAFA Senior Challenge Cup triumphs.
Nicknamed “Ghost”, he also coached Tusker FC with whom he won three league titles, as well as Rwanda’s APR and Tanzania’s Young Africans.
“First of all, I want to thank the federation for again having faith that I can steer the team to the Afcon and World Cup,” he said. “We had a very lengthy discussion as to what the ambition of the federation is after the election and after seeing the working conditions are favourable, I said that I can give it a try.
“I know it is a good thing to handle a national team but at the same time a difficult task because we have two tough games coming up against Comoros, they are two very important games for Kenya, however, I believe that with the team that I saw against Zambia, the team that has played the first two qualifiers, there is a big possibility that we have a squad to take us to the Afcon.
“My focus now is on how to deal with Comoros, I know it is a difficult match but I think if we can manage to win the first game at home, then we will be good to go.”
His first task will be to assemble a team for the qualifiers in less than two weeks. Kenya will face Comoros on 11 November in Nairobi before traveling for the return tie four days later in Moroni.
Mulee also believes he can do well in the World Cup qualifiers, with Kenya set to battle Mali as well as neighbors Rwanda and Uganda for a chance to move to the second and final phase of qualification.
