Club legend Boniface Ambani has raised his hand to become the next president of one of Kenya’s oldest football clubs, AFC Leopards. Ambani, who played for Leopards in his youthful years, believes he is the right man to take the club, nicknamed Ingwe, to the next level.
Ambani is having a shot of the presidency for the second time, having tried unsuccessfully in 2019. The 42-year old, also a national team legend, has had managerial opportunities with several clubs in the lower tier, but this is the first time he is taking a shot at becoming the boss of a senior team.
The former striker, who still holds the record for the most goals scored in a single Premier League season at 27, has previously worked at clubs such as Sindo United, Kangemi United, Nakuru Bucks FC and most recently at Mara Sugar FC where he was the technical director.
At Mara, where he left at the start of the year, Ambani helped them work their way up and were promoted into the FKF Premier League for the first time ever.
He believes he has the requisite experience to lead Leopards, a club that has struggled to replicate its huge stature on the pitch.
Ambani says his playing career, which modelled from Leopards to Tusker FC, Young Africans in Tanzania and all the way to India, gives him experience to know what is required to make players excel.
With the elections coming up later next month, the lanky former striker speaks exclusively to Telecomasia.net on his ambitions and what it will take to make Leopards great again.
- What motivated you to go for the AFC Leopards chairman’s seat?
- I have been seeing how our club football is run and saw a gap in the leadership and generally in Kenyan football. There is so much that is happening which I think is wrong and I believe I have the requisite experience and know how to turn things around. Most of the people running our clubs at the moment do not understand what football leadership is all about. This is what prompted me to seek this seat and try bring a change, especially having been a former player. I ran for this seat six years back but was denied a chance. However, I knew one day I would return.
- Are there specific areas that you think are not being handled well currently?
- One of the biggest mistakes the leaders do is ignore the player. They forget that without the player, there is no club. Player welfare is a big issue for me. It pains me when I see players, and coaches as well, being mistreated by the same leaders who are supposed to protect them. They don’t give the playing unit a conducive environment, yet they demand for results from them. It doesn’t work that way.
- What are some of the key pillars in your campaign, and things that you would want to do better if elected the chairman of AFC Leopards?
- One, is the players’ welfare. That is top of my priority list. Also, I would want to see an improved interaction and link between the team and the fans. The fans are a really important component of any football club and their voices must be heard.
I also want to build accountability structures in the team. Integrity and transparency have been crucial issues in the offices before and this has broken trust between the leadership, playing unit and the fans as well. In my leadership I want to do things in a very open manner.
- What have you set as your short term and long term goals, once elected?
- First and foremost is to ensure that this team wins trophies and gets back to playing Continental football. We have not won the league since 1998 and we have not won a trophy since 2017. This has to end because Leopards is a big club. We have a squad of very good players and with a few additions here and there, we will be contending for trophies.
I want to strengthen the squad, give the players everything they need to succeed and then push them for results. Anyone who has worked under me knows that I demand the best from my players.
In the long term, my dream is to see Leopards have its own facilities and one of the priorities is a training complex. We have to start from somewhere and in my tenure, I want to see that the club has its own training facilities to reduce dependence on other people.
- You have worked at several clubs, but the biggest success is Mara where you helped them gain promotion to the Premier League. What lessons do you draw from your previous experiences?
- I really take pride in what I achieved at Mara. The story didn’t end in a manner I would have loved but that does not take away the fact that we did well. One of the biggest lessons picked from my tenure there is that a club’s success is directly hinged to how well you take care of the players. You also need to put structures in place and ensure there is a modelled way of doing things. It is also key to listen to every stakeholder in a club. Teamwork is key in successfully running a football club.
- Finally, how confident are you that you will become the next chairman of AFC Leopards?
- I am very confident, If I look at everyone else who has so far expressed interest, I believe I am the best candidate. I have the experience, I have the know how and I have the passion for the game. I am very confident that I will win. My work speaks for itself from Mara, Sindo United, Kangemi All Stars, Nakuru Bucks and more clubs that I have worked for.
I have worked really well with my campaign team so far and we will do even more to talk to the voters, sell our dream and ambitions for the club and I believe we will amass a good number of people who believe in us. It has been great so far and I am looking forward to taking this to the final day and making the first step to change this great club.
