The former K’Ogalo coach explains to Goal how his dream of building a training ground for the Kenyan champions collapsed
Hassan Oktay has openly revealed how he secured sponsorship for Gor Mahia which later did not materialise.
The Turkish-Cypriot coach has exclusively told Goal he negotiated with the airline to help build a training facility for the Kenyan champions but the deal could not go through because ‘some officials in the club were not receiving any amount from the same.’
“I tried very hard to bring [Gor Mahia] Turkish Airlines to build them a training ground but it never worked because Gor Mahia officials were not receiving anything from the deal,” Oktay told Goal on Friday.
“I convened a meeting between the Airline, the Turkish Embassy, and Gor Mahia officials and agreed I will be in charge of the process but now that no one from [Gor Mahia] was to benefit, the deal died a natural death.
“Turkish Airlines were ready to help the club, they were willing to build a state of the art training ground for the club, I was left in shock because the deal just died like that.
“Gor Mahia needs to have their own football facility like teams in Tanzania do, they need to have a canteen where the players can eat and have drinks after training or matches, they need a place where the players can go and rest.”
Oktay, who left K’Ogalo at the beginning of this season after winning the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) title and helping the side to reach the quarter-finals of the Caf Confederation Cup, has also said he does not understand why the best club in East Africa (Gor Mahia) does not have money to sustain themselves.
“When I was leaving the club, they already sold [Jacques] Tuyisenge for a lot of money and also received huge money from Caf for reaching the group stage, but every day they are complaining we don’t have money,” Oktay continued.
“Where does the money go? All the time they are crying, we don’t have money, we don’t have money. It is a very bad a bit for such a big club which is respected in the East and Central African region. They must be in a position to sustain themselves and avoid begging all the time.”
Oktay also said he was eyeing to win the Caf Confederation Cup this season with the club had he stayed on as the coach.
“I had two targets had I stayed on as the coach, one was to go beyond the quarters in the Caf Champions League but had we dropped to the Confederation Cup, then my intention was to win the trophy.
“I left Gor Mahia with a very good squad, and I am shocked to learn they were bundled out of the Confederation Cup. You remember last season, we tried and reached the quarters, and were it not for the failure by the top management to pay the players’ salaries, then we could have gone far.”
Oktay was appointed Gor Mahia coach on December 10, replacing Englishman Dylan Kerr who had fallen out with the club management.
On his next move, Oktay responded: “I want to coach a national team. I am now ready to come back. I want to return to coaching after my short term break.”
Oktay explained further Gor Mahia still owes him money but could not divulge the figure.
“They [Gor Mahia] still owe me, they owe me some good money but very soon, I will let you know how much,” he added.
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