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Paul Put, former Harambee Stars coach with a controversial past has now been appointed as the new football coach for Uganda.
On the afternoon of November 18 2017 Belgian tactician Paul Put was appointed as the head coach of the Kenya national football team the Harambee Stars.
The appointment was met with enthusiasm and optimism, as Put, renowned for his tactical acumen and ability to inspire players, had previously steered Burkina Faso to the semi-finals of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
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12:23 - 02.11.2023
FOOTBALL Uganda appoint former Harambee Stars tactician as new head coach
Uganda have appointed Put, who was in charge of Harambee Stars when they won the 2017 CECAFA title on home soil, as new head coach.
However, beneath the surface of this promising appointment lay a dark past, one filled with allegations of match-fixing, unethical conduct, and a desperate bid to escape legal justice in his native Belgium.
Put's tenure with the Harambee Stars was short-lived, lasting only three months. However, in that brief period, he managed to lead the team to victory in the 2017 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup, held in Machakos.
This success endeared him to Kenyan football fans and players alike, creating an image of a coach who could bring glory to Kenyan football.
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But just as quickly as he had risen to favor, Put resigned from his position in February 2018, leaving many questions unanswered.
It was later revealed that during his time with the Harambee Stars, Put had made a series of demands to the Football Kenya Federation (FKF), including a request to facilitate the issuance of a Kenyan passport.
According to insiders at FKF, the coach reportedly sought favors that were not legally obtainable.
"He wanted to be issued with a Kenyan Passport as he could not travel to Belgium where he has a pending conviction/Court case and needed a new passport to enable him to travel as his current one was almost filled up," a source was quoted by Goal Kenya.
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The federation, however, declined his request, stating that the issuance of a passport was a prerogative of the government.
This revelation brought to light the dark past that Put had been trying to escape.
In Belgium, he had served a three-year ban, which expired in 2011, after being found guilty of fixing two matches while managing Lierse.
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The matches in question saw Lierse unexpectedly field reserve teams in Belgian top-flight league matches in 2005, seemingly as part of a match-fixing ring allegedly organized by Chinese businessman Ye Zheyun.
An international arrest warrant was issued against Ye in 2006, but he returned to China and denied all charges.
Put was not the only individual implicated in the scandal; forty people, including him, were charged and faced a criminal trial.
However, the trial was unlikely to come to court for at least another two years.
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Despite this dark cloud hanging over him, Put managed to secure employment in African football, taking up coaching roles in Kenya, Guinea, and Congo-Brazzaville.
His time in Guinea, however, was marred by controversy. Put was sacked amidst an "atmosphere of mistrust," according to the Guinea Federation.
In August 2019, the Guinea Football Federation (Feguifoot) placed a life ban on Put, following an investigation by its ethics commission.
The commission ruled that Put and a Guinea FA official had allegedly breached the institution's code of ethics and code of discipline. Both men were handed hefty fines, with Put ordered to pay 100,000 euros (approximately US$ 110,944) and the official fined 25,000 euros (approximately US$ 27,736).
Despite his ban in Guinea, Put resurfaced in Congo-Brazzaville, where he was reportedly given a diplomatic passport. However, his contract was not renewed due to a poor record with the team.
This pattern of securing employment despite a tainted past raises questions about the vetting processes in African football federations and the willingness to overlook ethical breaches for the sake of on-field success.
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Now, as Paul Put takes up his new role as the head coach of Uganda’s national football team, these questions and concerns remain.
Can a coach with such a dark past truly lead a team to glory? Or is the pursuit of success blinding federations to the ethical breaches and legal troubles that come with appointing a coach like Put?
Only time will tell, but one thing is for certain – the shadows of Put’s past will continue to loom large, casting a dark cloud over his coaching career and the teams he leads.
Follow the Pulse Sports Kenya WhatsApp channel for more news.
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