Big Two seek soothing solace in Cup semis

Kenya’s most popular clubs, AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia, are looking forward to end the season on a high with the FKF Cup after heartbreak on the last day of the Tusker Premier League season.

Both teams were in contention for the title but both stumbled on a dramatic final day to gift Tusker the title, leaving thousands of their fans heartbroken across the nation.

Now, the two clubs hope to put all that aside when they face-off in the FKF Cup semi-finals at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, on Saturday.

The mood is still gloomy in both camps after a season that had promised so much at the beginning. Leopards coach Jan Koops said his charges are 100 per cent focussed on winning the FKF Cup after throwing away a huge lead in the Premier League in the second leg.

“We narrowly missed the Premier League title and we are now focused on winning the FKF Cup. We have learnt our mistakes and we are doing all we can to win it,” Koops said.

Leopards finished the season third, despite topping the league table for most part of the year. A win in their last game would have seen them close the year ranked second, but they faltered, falling to a 1-0 defeat to Chemelil Sugar.

“We had the chance but we lost it. However, we cannot continue living in regret. Instead, we should look at where we went wrong, and make sure that we do not fall to the same mistakes again, in future,” he said.

“I am very sure we will not lose against Gor Mahia the second time. We are better prepared and we learnt from our mistakes in the last match. We are prepared to win against them on Saturday and march into the finals.

“However, it will not be easy because they are also feeling the brunt of losing the league like us and so it will be an intense battle,” he adds.

In the K’Ogalo camp, the players continued with training. The club sacked team manager Tom Ogweno following allegations that he interfered with the team’s programme just before their final game of the season.

Coach Zdvarko Logarusic , who took over the reins in April and turned around the Gor’s fortunes, said there was need for a more professional approach in how things were run at the club.
right from the top management to the technical bench and the playing unit.

There have been reports on some club scouts interfering with the operations at the club and Logarusic says this must now change.

“For us to move forward, we have to have a more professional approach in how things are run. We are a big club and must be run like that, not like a village entity,” he said.