Mathare United head coach Francis Kimanzi has left the club by mutual agreement.
The 48-year-old departs barely two months after leading the Slum Boys to secure a place in the Kenyan Premier League, officially known as the FKF Premier League.
Thanks to Kimanzi, Mathare United had a successful season in the country’s second-highest division of football FKF National Super League (NSL) 2023-2024 campaign, finishing number two with 79 points after winning 24 out of 36 games.
His current contract was indefinite with no specified end date, but he will now leave the club with immediate effect after his reported appointment to coach a yet-to-be-mentioned team in the Tanzania Mainland Premier League during their 2024-2025 football campaign.
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Mathare United chief executive Jecton Obure announced his exit in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.
He said: “The coach told me he had an offer from somewhere, and we had to release him. At the moment, John Kamau will be the interim coach since they have made this team together and have been conducting preseason as a unit. More information will be unveiled on Wednesday after the team meeting.
“As a club alumnus, he came to help the team. There were no terms or anything. He just agreed to help and achieved the target.”
Kimanzi has been a three-time Mathare United’s permanent manager after first taking charge in 2008, when the Slum Boys won their first league title, before leaving for national duties at Harambee Stars, where he was part of senior coaching staff members. However, after a string of poor results and failing to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), he was sacked in 2013.
He joined Sofapaka, then later Tusker FC, following the sacking of Robert Matano in November 2013. He re-joined Mathare United as the head coach two years later in 2015 until 2019, when he was appointed Sebastien Migne’s assistant at Harambee Stars, where he served shortly before returning to Mathare.
Now, after parting company with Kimanzi, Mathare United is reportedly seeking the expertise of former Posta Rangers head coach John Kamau, who was fired in April this year after a difficult campaign in the league.
