Former Ghana’s national team assistant coach who is the Gor Mahia boss Charles Akonnor and AFC Leopards tactician Fred Ambani and have been nominated once again for the SportPesa League Coach of the Month award for January 2026 in Kenya.
The two managers have already claimed the honor in previous months, with Ghanaian international Akonnor winning the inaugural crown in October.
However, the duo now find themselves in contention after guiding their sides to a dominant January, during which both clubs remained locked in a tight battle for the title.
Completing the list of nominated coaches are Murang’a SEAL head coach Osborne Monday and Bandari FC boss Bernard Mwalala last year, while Fred Ambani secured it for December.
Aiming for back-to-back appearances, Ambani oversaw five matches in January, collecting 14 out of a possible 15 points.Ingwe’s only defeat – just their second of the season,, came at the start of the year in a narrow 1–0 loss to Kakamega Homeboyz.
Since then, they have strung together consecutive victories: a 2–0 win over Nairobi United, a 4–0 thrashing of Tusker FC, a sensational 2–1 comeback against APS Bomet, and most recently a 1–0 victory over Sofapaka that ended a 10-match winless run against them.
During this stretch, Ingwe scored nine goals, conceded only two, kept three clean sheets, and maintained an 80%-win rate.
Osborne Monday – Murang’a SEAL – 4 matches played, 3 wins, 1 loss
Osborne Monday has truly turned things around at Murang’a SEAL since his appointment.
He took over a side hovering near the relegation zone and has now guided them to fourth place with 30 points.
They began the year with a dominant 2–0 victory over Mathare United, then let a lead slip in a 3–2 loss to Gor Mahia, before bouncing back with a 2–1 win over Bidco United.
They were also awarded a 2–0 win in their abandoned match against Ulinzi Stars.
In January, they scored eight goals and conceded four, keeping two clean sheets.
Charles Akonnor – Gor Mahia – 6 played, 5 wins, 1 draw
Gor Mahia are at the summit of the SportPesa League for good reason -a strong run in January has kept them firmly in contention as they aim to reclaim the title.
They started the month with a commanding 4–1 win over Kariobangi Sharks, were held to a goalless draw by Shabana FC in Gusii, then staged a 3–2 comeback against Murang’a SEAL.
They went on to beat Mara Sugar 3–0, mounted another comeback to defeat Bidco United 2–1, and wrapped up with a 3–0 victory over Sofapaka.
To boost their goal difference, they netted 15 times in January while conceding just four, and kept three clean sheets.
Bernard Mwalala – Bandari FC – 4 matches played
Mwalala, who took charge of the Dockers earlier in January after moving from Shabana as an assistant, oversaw four matches in his tenure and picked up 10 points from a possible 12.
His debut was a 2–1 home win over Kakamega Homeboyz, followed by another maximum-point performance against Tusker FC.
His side was then held to a goalless draw by Kariobangi Sharks before securing a 1–0 win over reigning champions Kenya Police FC.
During that run, Bandari scored five goals, conceded two, kept two clean sheets, and now sit ninth on the log with 27 points.
Aside from Charles Akonnor and Fred Ambani, Shabana coach Peter Okidi was also named Coach of the Month back in November.
