Pamzo dedicates coach of the month honour to late wife as APS revival gathers pace

APS Bomet head coach Sammy "Pamzo" Omollo/ HANDOUT

APS Bomet head coach Sammy “Pamzo” Omollo delivered an emotional tribute after being named the SportPesa League Coach of the Month for April, dedicating the accolade to his late wife during a poignant Mother’s Day ceremony.

The former Kenyan international, who has masterminded a stirring turnaround at the club, received the customised trophy and a  Sh75,000 cash prize from league sponsors SportPesa following a flawless month in the dugout.

In April, APS Bomet were unbeaten in all their League fixtures recording clean sheets in all matches, recording a 1-0 victory over Ulinzi Stars, 3-0 over Posta Rangers and 1-0 over Sofapaka.

Mara Sugar head coach Francis Xavier finished runner-up in the monthly award race after guiding his side to three victories as well, although his team played one more fixture than APS Bomet during the period.

Receiving the award just months after the passing of his wife, affectionately known as “Mama Denzel,” an emotional Pamzo paid tribute to the woman he described as the driving force behind his coaching journey.

“Today being Mother’s Day, I want to dedicate this award to my beloved wife, Mama Denzel. She was an inspiration to me and supported me throughout my coaching journey. I miss her, and this award is for her,” said Omollo.

Pamzo’s recognition caps off a remarkable resurgence for APS Bomet, who have transformed from relegation strugglers into one of the league’s form sides under his stewardship.

His side have coupled defensive steel with renewed belief, qualities that have breathed life into their fight for top-flight survival.

Still, the veteran tactician was quick to keep his players grounded despite the growing wave of momentum.

“We know there’s still work to do to secure safety, so I’m challenging the boys to keep working hard. There is still a lot of football to play, and anything can happen,” he added.

APS Bomet’s resurgence has shown little sign of slowing down beyond April.

While being awarded the coach of the month award on Sunday, Pamzo oversaw his side secure a 2-0 win over Mathare United in round 31 of the SportPesa League with goals from Philip Wasai in the first half and another from Evans Kipkemoi in minute 75 sealing a dominant display.

The club is now on an eight game unbeaten run, with five consecutive victories. Their last loss came on March 2where they narrowly fell 2-1 to Kakamega Homeboyz.