By JEMEDARI Mwanawakiume
Days after being humiliated by local rivals AFC Leopards in a pulsating encounter in the Mashemeji Derby, Gor Mahia are grappling with losing their head coach Frank Nuttall to Egyptian giants Zamalek.
Reports indicate that Nuttall left the country on Monday, March 7, for Egypt where he has agreed to become assistant coach to compatriot Alex McLeish.
“Gor Mahia’s head coach Frank Nuttall is in Cairo negotiating a deal to be the assistant coach of Zamalek fc. He landed there 2hrs ago,” sports pundit and commentator Fred Arocho wrote in one of his social media accounts on Monday.
Nuttall is expected to attend Zamalek’s training session on Tuesday, March 8, before their next match against Cameroonian side Union of Cameroon in the CAF Champions League, Soka.co.ke quotes a source as saying.
Nuttall’s departure comes two days after Gor Mahia lost their first match in the Kenya premier league since 2014 when he took over as manager.
The lose was inflicted by the club’s bitter rivals AFC Leopards. The defeat leaves Gor Mahia 12 th in the table with three points from four matches while Leopards lead with 10 points from the same number of matches.
Speaking after the game, Nuttall, who did not indicate he was quitting the club, rued missed chances which allowed Ingwe to grab the win in the 80 th minute.
This comes after K’Ogalo board sacked Nuttall following collapse in contract negotiations, only for the wrath of the fans to lead to the intervention of club patron Raila Odinga that saw Nuttall reinstated as manager.
The club has since continued to register poor results, their latest defeat coming in the hands of Ingwe.
Nuttall joined Gor on September 3, 2014, having been chosen by former coach Bobby Williamson who took over the national team, Harambee Stars. Williamson has since been sacked and his place taken over by youthful coach Stanley Okumbi.
Then, Nuttall signed a three month contract that was extended to two years in January 2015.
During his time at Gor Mahia, he steered the club to four titles; the DStv Super Cup, two KPL titles and the KPL Top 8.
Word has it that Gor Mahia have already spoken to former Brazil international Jose Mercelo Ferrairra “Ze Maria” to become the next Gor Mahia coach.
The club will send air tickets to Mercelo who is expected to arrive in the country on Thursday.
Mercelo was capped 25 times by Brazil. He won Bronze with the Samba Boys at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
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