Embattled Leopards coach Zapata vows not to resign
What you need to know:
- The 13-time champions remain third with 51 points, one ahead of Tusker, coached by former Leopards tactician Robert Matano.
- “It was a good game, we capitalized on our chances and I am happy, we came for three points, we got them, that was the most important thing,” said Matano.
Both teams have 14 wins this season.
Under-fire AFC Leopards coach Rodolfo Zapata has said that he is not in a hurry to resign despite a tough run with two games to the end of the season.
Zapata-led Leopards were whacked 4-0 by Tusker in a midweek SportPesa Premier League match in Machakos and in a post-match interview, the Argentine begged for more time to build a formidable side.
“It’s not true that I resigned after last Sunday, what happened is that I had a meeting with the players and told them I will give everybody an opportunity, then at the end of the season give a report to the NEC who are going to decide what’s better for the team,” he told journalists.
He added: “If they (NEC) think that the coach is the problem, they’ll decide. Remember I took the team in the middle of the season to third position, though we lost the cup semi-final.”
“Pressure is for the young, for me no, we need to analyse our performance, draw out a plan for next season and I will give a report this week on which positions we need, it’s not easy to build a team, we need patience,” he concluded.
On the Tusker loss, he said: “It was a tough game. It was hard to motivate the group after last Sunday's loss, but I think for half-an-hour we played good football then after that, individual mistake cost us and weak mental strength.”
The 13-time champions remain third with 51 points, one ahead of Tusker, coached by former Leopards tactician Robert Matano.
“It was a good game, we capitalized on our chances and I am happy, we came for three points, we got them, that was the most important thing,” said Matano.
Both teams have 14 wins this season.
