Tusker coach blames poor run on inexperience
Tusker players celebrate a goal against Sofapaka during their Kenyan Premier League match on March 18, 2018. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |
What you need to know:
- Tusker coach Sam Timbe has blamed his team’s poor performance in the Kenyan Premier League on inexperience.
- Timbe, whose team lost 5-4 to Sofapaka on Sunday in Machakos, has singled out his defenders for giving away cheap goals due to lack of sufficient experience.
- Tusker sunk to 14th with six points from seven games.
Tusker coach Sam Timbe has blamed his team’s poor performance in the Kenyan Premier League on inexperience.
Timbe, whose team lost 5-4 to Sofapaka on Sunday in Machakos, has singled out his defenders for giving away cheap goals due to lack of sufficient experience.
“These players are still young. Any experienced players would have easily cleared the ball in those instances, but we ended up conceding very easy goals. In the first goal, the goalkeeper had already left his line but the defender who should have covered for him just watched as the ball rolled into the net,” he said.
Sunday’s nine-goal thriller is the highest scoring game of the season so far, and it propelled Sofapaka to fifth in the standings table as Tusker sunk to 14th with six points from seven games.
Ugandan Umaru Kasumba and Kepha Aswani claimed a brace each for Sofapaka, as Hashim Sempala, Apollo Otieno, Mathew Odongo and Jackson Macharia scored a goal each for Tusker.
Things however took a bad turn for Timbe’s boys towards the end of the game when Sempala appeared to stump on the feet of Michael Oduor, attracting a second yellow card that reduced Tusker to 10 men.
Like last season, former champions Tusker have started this season on a bad note, winning just once in seven matches. In December, Tusker released Allan Wanga, James Situma, Noah Wafula and 11 other first team players.
Against Sofapaka, Timbe paraded his best players, although he was forced by injury to leave out Eugene Asike, Lloyd Wahome and forward Amos Asembeka.
His frontline marshalled by former Gor striker Timothy Otieno appeared blunt in comparison to Sofapaka’s lethal strike force that incorporated Kenyan international Stephen Waruru, Aswani and Elly Asieche.
Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards assume joint table leadership with 16 points each.
Ingwe are enjoying good form under Tanzanian coach Dennis Kitambi, and rose to a 2-1 win over Kakamega Hoimeboyz last weekend thanks to a last minute penalty converted by Ezekiel Odera.
This was their fourth win on the trot.
