EXCLUSIVE: Robert Matano reveals why he returned to Sofapaka despite Zimbabwe offer
Matano, popularly referred to as “the Lion” aka the “Special One”, returned to Batoto ba Mungu on July 22nd after agreeing to pen a one-year contract ahead of the new season set to kick-off later in August.
His decision to return to Sofapaka came after Tusker finished last season second in the 18-team league behind record champions Gor Mahia, and he declined to extend his six-year stay at the Ruaraka-based club after he had run down his contract.
Matano has opened up on his decision to choose Sofapaka despite a host of other Premier League clubs – including Kakamega Homeboyz and Bandari FC – going for his services after leaving the Brewers.
Sofapaka have suffered and deserve better
“I signed a one-year contract to return home, it just a one-year contract, it is not three months as many people are saying on social media, what I said about three months, I had a team in Zimbabwe, I was supposed to go there after three months,” Matano told Flashscore.
“However, I looked at the Sofapaka deal and felt I need to come and help the team, so I am here (at Sofapaka) for one year, so if I leave Sofapaka, then I will be telling people I am going, but I will be here for now (for one year).”
On why he settled for Batoto ba Mungu, Matano said: “You know Sofapaka is my team, and when you see a child suffering, you feel that you should be making efforts to help him or her, so I am back to help Sofapaka, they have suffered a lot and with my experience, the suffering is going to come to an end.”
Batoto ba Mungu were on the edge of surrendering their 15-year status in the top-flight after a poor start to the 2023/24 season saw them fight relegation from the opening week until the last day.
They finished the Premier League season in 16th and had to play National Super League (NSL) side Naivas FC in a two-legged promotion playoff to determine their fate.
Sofapaka, who won the Kenyan league title in the debut season in 2009 under Matano, managed to secure their status after beating Naivas 2-0 on aggregate. They won the first leg 1-0 courtesy of a goal from Jacob Ochieng, before winning the return leg 1-0 via an Andre Lalama strike.
“I feel good I am around, I am happy to be here again, it is good to be home again, it is something I knew will happen (returning to Sofapaka) one day, and I am happy it has happened, and I am now back home,” added Matano.
Matano outlines immediate plans for Sofapaka
Matano, the most decorated coach in Kenyan history having won five Premier League titles, and was voted the coach of the year at the close of the 2020/21 season to add on to a similar award earned in 2009, believes Sofapaka need stability first before they start thinking of challenging for the title.
“It's too early to discuss the new season, but my mission for the club is to try to bring the team up again because we have been struggling and last year was a good example, team fighting against relegation until the last day of the season, so we have to at least stabilize the team,” explained Matano, who was a defender during his playing career and turned out for Abeingo, Nakuru Youth Olympic, Hakati FC, Kenatco FC then AFC Leopards.
“We want to get some new faces to help solidify the team, we want to bring the team back, we want the team to regain their fighting spirit and be among the most feared teams in the league, but first we need stability to help us navigate from the lower point.”
Matano, who has coached Kenya Pipeline, Shamako Babes, Bayer East Africa, Safari Park, Timsales, Kimbo FC, and defunct Re-Union, among other teams continued: “I think this season is to make the teamwork, we need the stability first, we have to bring the team up, we have to bring up to speed new signings to join those, who have been there and after that we can plan about the future, but all in all we want the team to go back to where it belongs.”
Asked about what triggered his Tusker exit, Matano said: ‘I left because my contract expired, again, despite that, I felt I have done a lot for Tusker and it was time to exit and seek another challenge. I have no regrets because I had given my best and what was within my capacity.”
Matano will revive Sofapaka’s fortunes
According to Sofapaka President Elly Kalekwa, Matano is the right man to revive the club’s dwindling fortunes.
“He is the right man for the job and we are confident he will help us get out of the situation we found ourselves in during the previous season,” Kalekwa told Flashscore. “He is a fighter, a coach, who wants to win in every game, a coach who gets mad when he loses a game, so we went for his services knowing he will help us regain our status.”
Kalekwa continued: “Immediately I saw he had left Tusker, I gave him a call, he responded positively and here now he is back home. He wanted to come back, and I knew one day he would return.
“We had a campaign (last season) we all want to forget quickly, fighting against relegation for the first time since we earned promotion to the league in 2009, it was painful to our fans, it was painful to everyone, who is associated with this great club, but we want to promise it will never happen again,” added Kalekwa.
“It will never happen again, that one I can promise, never under my watch again.”
Apart from winning the league title, Sofapaka have clinched the Kenya Super Cup (twice), President’s Cup (three times), Mashujaa Cup (once), Shield Cup (twice) and Jamhuri Cup (once).
They featured in the CAF Champions League in 2010 but failed to go past the preliminary round, and made three appearances in the Confederation Cup – 2008 when they got disqualified, 2010 when they reached the playoffs and 2015 when they reached the preliminary round.
