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Dull Sofapaka face KCB in Machakos


KCB stand-in coach Elvis Ayany will be riding on nothing but hope as he takes his team to Machakos on Tuesday for their duel against domestic cup holder Sofapaka.

The bankers’ poor form that lasted the entire 2014 season continues to cling on them this year, their six crushing defeats in nine matches costing them much confidence.

It is however worth noting that KCB holds the record for being the league’s biggest winners so far, their 6-2 thrashing of Nakuru All Stars two months ago still standing unrivaled.

Ayany however says that every team has its bad days and they have been working to improve on their weak areas.

“People are quick to speak about our plight because they are only looking at the results. It is true that we have not begun the league as we would have wanted, but if you look at our matches you will find that we are not always overpowered by the opponents.

TEAM’S CONFIDENCE

“Like all other teams, we create chances, we fight for the ball and we play with the right intensity. The many losses we have had have however swept the team’s confidence to one side, and that is something you work on over time,” the former KCB midfielder said.

Ayany also told Nairobi News that his team’s greatest challenge lies in the striking department.

This could be improved with the availability of former Simba SC striker Paul Kiongera who has been out for close to a year nursing a knee injury.

Batoto ba Mungu on the other hand have been less than spectacular this quarter of the season, their four debilitating draws leaving them seventh in the log with a dissatisfying 13 points out of eight matches played.

They will therefore be eager to take a leaf from their fellow title contenders Tusker who appear to be firmly on the road to recovery after enduring a ponderous start to the season.

Sofapaka were a joy to watch last season when the tactical ingeniousness of Ugandan coach Sam Timbe successfully created a ferocious attacking side that was unmatched in the league.

SUBSTANDARD PLAY

This season however, the squad has been guilty of substandard play, their 3-2 capitulation away to Western Stima three weeks ago proving that this could be an entirely different year.

If they collect maximum points today, they will climb to third place on the log, something that greatly motivates assistant coach David Ouma.

“We have not lost in the last four games and this is a statistic that we want to build up on positively. This is an important fixture because if we manage to get ourselves within the top five positions then the boys will be more motivated ahead of our next matches,” he told Nairobi News.