Why Tusker’s new coach is not losing sleep despite disappointing FKFPL debut
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Reading Time: 3min | Sun. 22.02.26. | 15:05
Mette, who was unveiled last week alongside assistant Antony Kimani to replace Charles Okere, saw his side fall to a narrow loss at Gusii Stadium
New Tusker FC head coach Julien Mette has expressed satisfaction with his players’ performance despite suffering a 1-0 defeat to Shabana, in his first Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL) match in charge.
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Mette, who was unveiled last week alongside assistant Antony Kimani to replace Charles Okere, saw his side fall to a narrow loss at Gusii Stadium.
The decisive moment came in the first half when defender Thomas Teka inadvertently turned Brian Michira’s cross into his own net.
The defeat means Mette and Kimani must wait a little longer for their first win with the 12-time champions, who currently sit 10th on 28 points, 14 behind the league leaders, after an inconsistent campaign.
Yet, speaking to the club’s media team after the match, the former Djibouti and Rwanda national team coach insisted he saw plenty of positives in the performance.
“I can take 90 percent of positive things because I am positively surprised by most of the players as a team,” said the Frenchman.
“They played as a team from the beginning to the end. We conceded a cruel goal; it was an own goal, and the opponent had zero shots on target. It was very cruel, but they kept pushing and kept playing football, not long balls like rugby.”
Mette highlighted the players’ concentration and commitment as the biggest takeaway, singling out assistant captain Teka for his response after the own goal.
“He improved and did very well. At halftime I told him, "Now you must improve because you have strength and a good mentality." He improved and did very well in the second half. If we see the team react like Thomas Teka, we can move away from failure,” he said.
The coach noted that the mental response from his squad gives him optimism, especially considering he has had only a week to work with the team.
“To improve mentality, you need time because mental strength is the hardest thing to train and improve. But after just one week of work, I am really positively surprised by the guys,” he added.
Mette also believes the players have quickly grasped his tactical principles.
“I think they understood many principles of play and the way I want them to play. Of course, we need to correct things, but it is good to play games to correct them. Videos are better in training sessions. Normally, competitors want to play; training is work; the game is fun.”
Mette was brought in to steady a ship that had begun to drift. Under Okere, appointed in 2024, Tusker struggled for consistency and dropped out of the title conversation.
Eight losses in 20 matches saw the Brewers slide into mid-table, a far cry from the standards of a club that has gone toe-to-toe with Gor Mahia for domestic supremacy over the past decade.
Reports suggested Okere had lost the dressing room, with questions raised about his tactical and managerial approach, while sections of fans openly called for change.
This marks the first time the beer makers have changed coaches mid-season since Robert Matano’s appointment in 2018.
Mette also becomes the club’s first European coach since 1990, breaking from the tradition of appointing local tacticians or regional coaches such as Paul Nkata, George Best Nsimbe, and Sam Ssimbwa.
The Frenchman is no stranger to African football.
He previously coached Rayon Sports and won the Congolese Premier League title with AS Otoho.