How Harambee Stars defender stands to benefit from arrival of new coach at French club

Harambee Stars' duo of Joseph Okumu and Manzur Okwaro will be under head coach Nicolas Usaï, following his official appointment at Stade de Reims on Thursday, 21 May.

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Usaï, 52, signed with Reims on a two-year contract, and prioritized strong ambitions that include: uniting the team, achieving high performance, and supporting the development of the Champagne club’s young talent.

"The project immediately motivated me,” Usaï, who was among the two candidates the club prioritized to replace the outgoing Karel Geraerts, said. “I'm staying in a league I know well, but with a structure designed to aim higher. Everything is in place for success. I'm arriving fresh, full of energy, and I can't wait to get started."

Usaï’s prioritization of youth development is one set to ring music to the years of Kenyan defender Okwaro, looking to break into the first team following his six-month run with the club’s reserve team in the Pro 2 league.

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"I know I will be able to rely on a generation of very high-quality young players,” Usaï, whose experience in the French second-tier (Ligue 2) has seen him manage 196 matches with LB Châteauroux, Nîmes Olympique, and Pau FC, said. “The reputation of Reims' youth academy speaks for itself."

Okwaro, 20, fits just right into the new manager’s timeframe, and could well be one of the beneficiaries when the Marseille native summons his squad at the end of June at the Raymond Kopa Training Center, to officially launch preseason preparations.

Okumu, meanwhile, will look to make his impact felt in a fresh start, having played just one match of the concluded 2025-2026 season with a serious ligament injury to the left knee.

Regarding his playing philosophy, Usaï said he primarily wants to see a team capable of imposing its identity on the pitch:

“I focus first and foremost on my team. I believe that the priority is to create problems for the opposition,” he said. “The tactical and technical aspects are essential, but with experience, I know that managing and uniting the team around the project are indispensable components of success.”

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Having failed to earn promotion back to Ligue 1 last season, Usaï will have his hands full, when all is set for their second stab at it.

“We are very happy to welcome Nicolas Usaï to Stade de Reims,” the club’s General Manager Mathieu Lacour said. “He is a coach who knows Ligue 2 perfectly, who gets the best out of his players, and who has a true talent-development DNA.

He will be able to rely on the Club's structure to nurture emerging talent. I also want to emphasize a concept that is particularly close to his heart: enjoyment. The players, the staff, the entire Club, and the supporters must rediscover enjoyment in order to achieve the set objectives.”

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