KVF begin search for Malkia Strikers coach ahead of World Champs

KVF on Sunday invited those interested to apply for the head coach, two assistant coaches and physical trainer positions with interviews scheduled for February 15.

Seasoned coach Japheth Munala, who doubles up as the KCB head coach, has been at the helm of Malkia Strikers since October 2023 and he led the team during the Paris Olympics last year.

According to the KVF Secretary General Ismail Chege, the federation is seeking to recruit a new Malkia Strikers technical bench with a binding contract rather than on a temporary basis.

“The current technical bench had been picked to lead the team for the Olympics assignment and after a NEC meeting yesterday (Friday) we decided to recruit a new technical bench.

“They will have binding contracts that will help us be able to review the team’s performance after every championship. You can’t question someone about the performance of the team yet you don’t have any contract with him.”

“We’ve have been operating blindly without a substantive coach and at this age we need to move away from that. We must do our things professionally by finding a coach with a substantive contract,” Chege told Citizen Digital.

Former Malkia Strikers setter Janet Wanja, who succumbed to a rare gallbladder cancer last month, was also part of the technical bench as the team’s trainer during the Paris Olympics.

Malkia Strikers, nine time African champions, are in a tough looking Pool ‘G’ for the World Championship to be held across five cities of the Southeast Asian country.

They will renew their rivalry with Poland, less than six months after the two sides clashed at the Paris Olympic Games. The former European champions triumphed in 3-0 sets.

Malkia Strikers will also face Germany and Vietnam in Pool ‘G’.

Cameroon, other African representatives, are in Pool ‘H’ that has reigning champions Serbia, former Olympics champions Japan, and Ukraine.

Hosts are in Pool ‘A’ that also has Egypt, who are returning to the global stage after a long hiatus, the Netherlands and Sweden.

The championship will be held in Bangkok, Nakhon Ratchasima, Phuket and Chiang Mai, with the top two sides in each pool qualifying for the round of 16 stage.