AFC Leopards can still achieve a top three finish
What you need to know:
- Another match Ingwe ought to have easily won was against Tusker a fortnight ago.
- We will also have to overcome some tough opposition in Chemelil, Western Stima, KCB, Top Fry, Thika United, Sofapaka and Bandari to achieve a respectable finish.
Over the last few days, I have had to contend with taunts from our noisy neighbours who for some strange reasons believe Ingwe will be relegated.
Tom Osanjo, in particular, was over the moon when Ingwe was held to a barren draw by Muhoroni Youth in a match Ingwe ought to have comfortably won if not for poor finishing and to some extent, Jacob Keli’s wastefulness.
The former KCB man fluffed two glorious goal scoring opportunities which if converted would have made a big difference in our push for a top three finish. This is not to take anything away from Keli – the boy’s work rate has been high and his combination with Noah Wafula has been excellent.
Another match Ingwe ought to have easily won was against Tusker a fortnight ago. For all our dominance, we had to settle for a goalless draw. Give credit though to the burly Tusker custodian Samuel Odhiambo who thwarted a number of one-on-one situations with our strikers.
In my view, the four points dropped in these two matches would have made a big difference but we have to keep on pushing until the very last match against Bandari in Mombasa on November 8. I’ve always said it and I’ll repeat it here; supporting Ingwe is not for the faint-hearted. The top five teams – K’Ogalo, Sofapaka, Tusker, Chemelil (of all teams) and Thika United will drop points along the way so we should aim to capitalise on such slip-ups to catch up.
While I honestly think the decision to reverse the walkover we got against Sony Sugar was unfair, I do not want us to be seen to be fearing a replay against the sugar millers. We have beaten Sony at their backyard before so there is reason to be afraid. If we must travel to Awendo, we will do so and return to Nairobi with all three points.
We will also have to overcome some tough opposition in Chemelil, Western Stima, KCB, Top Fry, Thika United, Sofapaka and Bandari to achieve a respectable finish. It is the price we have to pay for a poor start to the season. Ingwe must push hard and ensure that we finish in the top three bracket for that is where we belong.
Meanwhile, if it is true that K’Ogalo have bagged a sponsor in Bluemoon Vodka, kudos to them. I shudder to imagine the K’Ogalo legion actively promoting their new sponsor by partaking the fairly cheap brew on match days.
