Former Kenya Cup champions Kenya Harlequin have for the second successive season gone for a foreign coach after hiring Senegalese Amady Diallo on Friday.
The Ngong Road-based club has hired the former Senegal women’s sevens and Lebanon men’s and women’s sevens teams coach on a three-year contract.
Kenya Harlequin chairman Michael Wanjala said the club opted for a foreign coach instead of a local since “the number of qualified coaches in Kenya at top level are very few.”
Diallo has been in the country since end of August. Most recently, he coached youth rugby Club Arles-France and high school rugby team Pasquet Arles-France in 2019/20 season.
The 36-year-old former Senegal 7s and 15s international replaces Belgian Antoine Plasman who led Quins in last season’s curtain-raiser Sisimka Charity Cup and the first six Kenya Cup matches.
Plasman, who had joined Quins on a two-year contract in September 2020, went back to Belgium due to health reasons.
“He had a health condition (skin cancer) which needed constant treatment and so the family chose to go back home,” explained Wanjala.
Diallo, who is a Level 3 World Rugby Coach in 15s rugby, will be assisted by former Kenya Sevens internationals Patrice Agunda (deputy head coach) and Eden Agero (backs coach). Larry Nyambok is the strength and conditioning coach.
“Amady’s experience with youthful sides comes in handy and his exposure in the French league will be beneficial to us. If you notice our long term plan is to groom our own players who have retired from the game to take up coaching roles. That’s why Patrice and Eden are assisting Amady,” noted Wanjala.
Nyambok is a Level 2 World Rugby strength and conditioning coach who previously worked with Homeboyz before joining Quins last season. Agunda and Agero are working on their Level 1 certification.
Wanjala is not worried about Diallo’s wage demands.
“Quins has a good heritage of former players who are able to chip in on some expenses,” he said.
The official also revealed that Quins plan to reinforce their squad ahead of the 2021/22 Kenya Cup season which is expected to kick off in November.
“We may sign one or two but we are looking more for players who have finished University and are willing to join us. Our focus is on young players aged between 19 and 23 years old. We are looking at the Second Row position, Backrows and Wingers,” he said.
Amady Diallo’s CV
Diplomas
2015-2016: Diploma level 3 Rugby Coach-15 – World Rugby
2014: Diploma level 2 Rugby Coach-7 – IRB
2013: Diploma level 2 Rugby Coach-15 – IRB
2012: Diploma on rugby fitness coach – IRB
2009: Diploma level 1 Rugby Coach-7 – IRB
2003: Diploma level 1 Rugby Coach-15 – IRB
Coaching experience
2019-2020: Trainer youth rugby Club Arles-France and high school rugby team Pasquet Arles-France
2017-2019
Head Coach National team Lebanon Men-Women 7s
Team member of the national team Lebanon 15s
Coach and Trainer of coaches Youth Academy and American International School Lebanon
Coach Rugby Club (the Froggies) Lebanon
Trainer of universities for development rugby 7s
2016: Internship training for coach 15s – level 3 in Castres-France, with the staff of the Castres Olympique Rugby Club
2015: Internship training for coach 15s, level 3 in Marcoussis in France with the staff of the National French Rugby Team
2013-2016: Coach of the Rugby Club (Les Jambars 15s) of Dakar in Senegalese Championship
2013-2016: Coach National Woman Rugby Team 7s of Senegal
2010-2013: Deputy Coach of the National Woman Rugby Team 7s of Senegal BY DAILY NATION
