Wasteful KCB, Leopards fire blanks in Thika
AFC Leopards forward Boniface Mukhekhe (left) vies for the ball with David Owino of KCB during their FKF-PL match at Thika Stadium on October 16, 2021.
What you need to know:
- Zedekiah Otieno's charges wasted several chances that would have seen them kill the game in the first half.
- They remain winless having lost 2-1 to former champions Gor Mahia in their opening match three weeks ago.
AFC Leopards’ Belgian coach, Patrick Aussems, has conceded that the club cannot challenge for this season’s Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKF-PL) title without signing up new players.
The coach made the statement moments after seeing the 13-time Kenyan champions struggle to hold KCB to a barren draw at Thika Stadium in Kiambu County.
In the other matches of the day, Ulinzi Stars beat Mathare United 1-0 at the same venue, while at the Moi International Sports Centre (MISC), Kasarani Annex, Nairobi City Stars bounced back to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over newcomers Kenya Police.
Against a depleted Leopards side, KCB who finished second in the league last season, wasted several chances that would have seen them kill the game in the first half.
Aussems said that while his young squad rose to the occasion yesterday by holding the bankers, the team can only perform well this season if it signs at least four quality players.
“I was expecting to be able to recruit but right now that is still impossible (because of Fifa ban),” said Aussems. “Of course if it stays like that, we will not be able to win the league. But if Fifa allows us to recruit, and we can get four players, I am sure we can have a very good season.”
Fifa banned Leopards from signing players their former employees, among them midfielder Vincent Habamahoro and former coaches Marko Vasiljevic and Andre Cassa Mbungo.
The club however says it has settled the debts after collecting close to Sh8 million in a recent fund-raiser. The club is hoping that Fifa will lift the ban before the current transfer window closes on November 1.
The new signings are expected to fill key positions left by goalkeeper Benjamin Ochan, striker Elvis Rupia, midfielder Austin Odhiambo and winger Caleb Olilo, among others.
For his part, KCB’s assistant coach, Geodfrey Oduor, rued their missed chances. Oduor said KCB’s performance was good, considering that they lost 2-1 to former champions Gor Mahia in their season-opener.
“A draw today is an improvement, considering that we lost our last match. It is a good direction and so in our next match we expect a victory,” said Oduor.
Clifton Omondi was the assassin for Ulinzi in a match that the soldiers wasted several chances in the first half. Mathare grew into the game in the second period but Omondi denied them a point when he shook the back of the net on 73 minutes, thanks to poor defending by the hosts.
It was Ulinzi’s second victory as they beat Nzoia Sugar by the same margin in their season’s opener three weeks ago.
