NAIROBI, Kenya, July 27, 2026 – Tusker head coach Julien Mette says the decision to appoint new signing Abud Omar as captain was made by the players and not him alone.
While admitting he has always wanted to make the Harambee Stars defender his skipper, the Frenchman says he did not want to impose his wishes on the whole squad.
“I wanted him to be the captain but if the players don’t want him, I respect the choice of the players. They chose Abud with a big percentage so now he is the captain of the team,” Mette said.
Omar rejoined the brewers last week — amid weeks of speculation — after initially departing them to join Kenya Police in 2023.
In the aftermath of last month’s FKF Cup final between the two sides in Kwale, Mette expressed admiration for Omar, particularly with regards to his free kick that brought Police level in that eventual 2-1 defeat.
Omar is also a key cog in Benni McCarthy’s Harambee Stars set-up, skippering the side at last year’s Africa Nations Championships (CHAN) on home soil, during which they reached the quarterfinals.
Mette says the left-back is expected to play a key role in the actualisation of his project with the 13-time Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League champions.
“When I arrived in February, I couldn’t change the captain because I was focused on other things. It’s now the beginning of the season and I like to manage my team that way…allow the players to vote for the captain. I presented the season’s objective, club project, calendar and the game model to the players,” the former Rayon Sports head coach.
Indeed, Omar’s arrival is expected to provide leadership on and off the pitch to a group of players who are seeking to build upon a relatively successful season in 2025/26.
The defender wore the armband for the first time against Sudanese giants Al Hilal in their first game of the Cecafa Club Championships in Kigali on Sunday evening.
The Kenyans lost 2-0 in that match but Omar’s leadership was evident as he orchestrated play on different occasions, driving the team forward, from the backline.
He will be assisted in his leadership duties by Crispin Erambo and Thomas Teka.
