Shabana coach looks to make the most of home ties
Shabana FC head coach Vincent Nyaberi (left)congratulates his captain Wycliffe Nyangechi after their Mashujaa Day Cup match against AFC Leopards at Gusii Stadium on October 20, 2020.
What you need to know:
- Shabana will host Mount Kenya United on December 6 before they face Ushuru at the same venue a week later
- Nyaberi reiterated that the team will target to win all its home matches and to manage either a win and at worst a draw in away assignments
- The club has bolstered its squad by signing 12 players, mostly young talents
National Super League team Shabana FC are out to make the most of their home matches when the 2020/21 season of Kenya’s second-tier football league kicks off.
The former Kenyan Premier League club will play two consecutive home matches, according to tentative fixtures released on Friday.
The Kisii County team will start the season with an away match against Chemilil FC at the Chemilil Sports Complex on November 28, according to the draft fixtures released by Football Kenya Federation (FKF).
The team will later play two consecutive matches at their Gusii Stadium base. Shabana will host Mount Kenya United on December 6 before they face Ushuru at the same venue a week later.
Speaking to Nation Sport on Friday, Shabana ’s head coach Vincent Nyaberi said the team will seek to win its home matches so as to have a solid start in the league.
“The players are in good spirits and we believe the newly recruited players will add the much-needed character in the team. In our previous campaigns, we lacked stability and depth. Our goal is to pick as many points as possible and this has to start with the opening fixture,” Nyaberi, a former player at the club, said.
He confirmed that all his players were in good form and promised the team’s fans entertaining brand of football.
Nyaberi reiterated that the team will target to win all its home matches and to manage either a win and at worst a draw in away assignments.
He remained optimistic that his new signings will steer the club back to the Kenyan Premier League at the end of the season.
The club has bolstered its squad by signing 12 players, mostly young talents.According to Nyaberi, 10 among the 12 players are drawn from the region.
“Among the newly-recruited players, two are strikers, four are defenders and six are midfielders. I believe in fresh talent, so I will give young players as many opportunities as possible to play,” he noted.
As part of its pre-season training, the club will host KPL side Kakamega Homeboyz in a friendly match next week. About a fortnight ago, Shabana beat AFC Leopards 1-0 to win the Mashujaa Day Cup in Kisii.
The club will be hosting their matches at the newly refurbished Gusii Stadium, a facility that hosted this year’s Mashujaa Day celebrations.
Previously, the stadium was accommodating only 2,500 people. It now has a main dais with a capacity to accommodate 2,000 VIPs and 8,000-seater stands.
The former KPL giants finished 10th on the second-tier leagues in the last campaign and missed out on promotion to the top-flight league.
The club will be playing second tier games for the third season since they were promoted from Division One in 2018.
