12-time league Kenyan Premier League champions, Tusker FC, are set to appoint former Djibouti national team coach Julien Mette as their new head coach,
Frenchman will be replacing Charles Okere, who appears to have overseen his final match during Saturday’s 3–1 defeat to Mathare United at the Police Sacco Grounds.
Mette takes over for the remainder of the season. He will be assisted by former two times Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Cup champions Bandari FC and Ulinzi Stars coach Anthony Kimani, who joins from his role as assistant coach with Kenya’s national soccer team Harambee Stars.
During his tenure with Djibouti, Mette guided the team to their first-ever qualification for the FIFA World Cup group stage.
However, his stint ended after a poor run of results, including heavy defeats to the Algeria national football team, Burkina Faso national football team, and Niger national football team.
For Okere the pressure upped following the loss to Mathare United. The result left the brewers ninth on the league table with 28 points, 15 behind record league champions and leaders Gor Mahia, as the title race enters a critical phase.
Okere has been under mounting pressure since the start of the season due to the team’s inconsistent form.
Tusker have lost eight of their 20 league matches and currently sit ninth on the FKF Premier League table with 28 points, 15 behind leaders Gor Mahia.
Chairman Charles Gacheru publicly indicated that changes were imminent in a bid to salvage the club’s season.
Speaking to Soccer East Africa, Gacheru said: “We have been patient and provided every support needed, but we are still losing matches and failing to find consistency. At this point, change is inevitable.
“Tusker FC is a club with a rich history and a strong brand. We cannot allow it to become an easy target for teams in the league. We must act to restore the club’s standards and competitiveness.”
Okere first joined Tusker in April 2018 as an assistant coach following the return of Robert Matano as head coach.
He also worked with the club’s youth team before leaving in April 2021 to take charge of the Kenya women’s national team, the Harambee Starlets.
After a year with the Starlets, Okere returned to Tusker in April 2022 as second assistant coach and youth team head coach.
He served under Matano until July 2024, when he was promoted to head coach following Matano’s departure, ending the veteran tactician’s third stint with the Brewers.
n his farewell message, Okere thanked the club’s management, players, technical staff and supporters for their support during his time at Ruaraka.
He described Tusker as more than a workplace, noting that the club had become family since his arrival in 2018. He added that he remains grateful for the experiences and successes achieved and stated that he will continue to support the club from outside the technical bench.
