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Harambee Stars duo to work with new coach at French club
Reading Time: 2min | Fri. 15.05.26. | 21:15
The development comes after the side missed out on a chance to secure promotion back to Ligue 1
Harambee Stars duo of Joseph Okumu and Manzur Okwaro will work under a new coach at French side, Stade de Reims following the sacking of manager Karel Geraerts.
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Reims, in a communication on Thursday, 14 May, announced that they had parted ways with the Belgian manager, who saw them fail to secure promotion back into the top tier (Ligue 1) in the just concluded Ligue 2 season.
🗞️ Communiqué officiel ⤵️
— Stade de Reims (@StadeDeReims) May 14, 2026
“Stade de Reims and Karel Geraerts have mutually agreed to end their collaboration,” Reims’ communique read. “At the end of the 2025-2026 season, and considering the expectations surrounding that season, both parties have chosen not to continue their partnership.This decision also affects his assistant, Tim Smolders.”
Geraerts, 44, joined Reims in June 2025 on a reported two-year deal, replacing interim manager Samba Diawara, who had been in charge following the departure of Luka Elsner, earlier that season.
His remit, which was supported by the club announcement on Thursday, included steering Reims back into Ligue 1, following their relegation in the playoffs against Metz on 29 May 2025.
The former Union Saint-Gilloise and Schalke 04 man could ,however, not deliver on the promise, with Reims finishing sixth in Ligue 2, and missing out on the promotion play-offs altogether.
The development will now see Okumu and Okwaro have a fresh voice on the dugout, with French tabloids reporting the likely replacement to be Frenchman Nicolas Usaï.
According to L'Équipe Usaï, whose recent spell was with another Ligue 2 side Pau FC, is close to agreeing to take charge of Reims.
Another man mentioned for the role is Olivier Dall'Oglio, who was also finalist for the job last summer, before the club settled for Geraerts.
Okumu, who missed majority of 2025-2026 season with a serious ligament injury to the left knee, will hope to be one of the key cogs for either men, with Okwaro also looking to break into the first team, following his six-month run with the club’s reserve team in the Pro 2 league.