AFC Leopards chairman Dan Shikanda has dispelled rumours coach Patrick Aussems will not return to the team when the FKF Premier League returns to action.
The Belgian tactician traveled to his native home on April 1, 2021, just three days after President Uhuru Kenyatta had ordered the suspension of all sporting activities until further notice owing to a spike in the numbers of the coronavirus pandemic cases.
His decision to leave left many Ingwe fans questioning whether the 56-year-old tactician will return to continue with his work.
Shikanda has now come out to assure the club faithful that Aussems will return when the government allows football to resume and hits out at those spreading rumours he will not return.
“All those spreading rumours our coach will not come back from his holiday are just enemies of progress, they don't want to see AFC Leopards doing well and I want to shame them that Patrick [Aussems] will come back if and when the league resumes,” Shikanda told Goal.
“He requested to go home and visit his family, he is a human being and needs time to be with his family and we allowed him to travel, I don't know where the rumours are coming from 'he will not return' - those are the enemies who don’t want to see our team doing well.”
Shikanda continued: “Furthermore, he is even coaching the team from Belgium, he has given them training programs to follow now that we are under lockdown, I speak to him every day and he also speaks to the players every day, the programs they are currently taking instructions from him, not anyone else."
The former international further described Aussems as a professional who had already fallen in love with his work at Ingwe and revealed some of the areas he was keen for the club to improve so as to conquer Kenya, the East African region, and Africa.
“Aussems is a very good coach, who is very happy working at AFC Leopards,” Shikanda continued. “He has suggested to us a number of areas we must improve to be regarded as a serious club in the region and Africa.
“He has told us a lot of things; but the key one is, he wants us to own our own training facility for the senior and youth teams, he is very passionate about our team and he says such things are very important and as a club, we are working towards achieving some of the things he wants us to improve.”
On leaving for home, Aussems said: “Due to the suspension of sports competitions I am going back home for a few days to visit family.
“Obviously I will be back when the league resumes. Let us hope it will be as soon as possible. Take care and happy Easter to all football fans.”
The Belgian, who had also handled Simba SC of Tanzania, was in charge of six matches at the Den before the league took a break managing to win four, losing one against Bandari, and drawing one.
