Why Mwalala blasted his Bandari charges

Bandari attacking midfielder, Abdallah Hassan (centre) in training with team mates, Dan Otewa (right) and David King'atua (left) at the KPA Mbaraki base in Mombasa on November 14, 2019. PHOTO | ABDULRAHMAN SHERIFF |

What you need to know:

  • Earlier, the club had dismissed claims that Mwalala was on his way out of the club following interest from Yanga saying the youthful tactician is at Bandari to stay.
  • This followed rumours that Mwalala was headed to Young Africans as a permanent replacement for Congolese tactician Mwinyi Zahera who was shown the door after the Tanzania club lost to Pyramids FC of Egypt at the play-off stage of the Confederations Cup.

Bandari Football Club coach Bernard Mwalala read the riot act on his players as they resumed training on Thursday for their next Kenyan Premier league fixture against AFC Leopards in Mombasa on Thursday.

Mwalala, who also refuted claims that he is in talks with Tanzanian side Young Africans, said it will not be business of usual at Bandari and asked his players to shape up after back to back losses.

“We don’t have any further excuses on our poor run in the league in the recent past. We are now out of continental football and should start winning our league games beginning with our home fixture against AFC Leopards,” said Mwalala after a club training session at their KPA Mbaraki base.

According to him, the international break this weekend has been a godsend since his players have had enough resting time and can now focus on the domestic league.

Bandari have not won any match after losing by a solitary goal to Horoya FC from Guinea on November 3 in Nairobi in their Caf Confederation Cup play-off match-up.

The loss saw them bundled out of the competition 5-2 goal aggregate after losing 4-2 in the first leg match way in Conakry.

Bandari travelled to Kisumu immediately after their African assignment and lost 3-1 to Western Stima on November 6 before being edged out 1-0 to Ulinzi Stars in another league match in Nakuru three days later.

“We can easily attribute this back to back losses to fatigue due to our engagements in international fixtures which are now over, meaning we have to return to our winning ways,” he said.

Earlier, the club had dismissed claims that Mwalala was on his way out of the club following interest from Yanga saying the youthful tactician is at Bandari to stay.

This followed rumours that Mwalala was headed to Young Africans as a permanent replacement for Congolese tactician Mwinyi Zahera who was shown the door after the Tanzania club lost to Pyramids FC of Egypt at the play-off stage of the Confederations Cup.

Bandari Chief Executive Officer Edward Oduor said Mwalala was focused on helping the club win the Premier League title in his third attempt and would not be distracted by talk of joining Young Africans.

“It is true that Young Africans have put Mwalala on their priority list as a replacement for Zahera but the tactician has assured us that he is going nowhere at least for now and is fully committed to Bandari FC”, Oduor said.

Reports from Tanzania last week indicated that Young Africans chairman Mshindo Msolla was determined to hire Mwalala, who played for Young Africans between 2006 and 2010, as a permanent replacement for Zahera who was sacked last week.