ASHIHUNDU: Tournament exposes our soft underbelly

The SportPesa Cup in Dar es Salaam confirmed the fans’ worst fears that our team is weak. The central defenc,e where the likes of Mawira and Abdalla ‘Shitu” Salim are supposed to share duties with Robbinson Kamura and Isaac Oduro, is leaking, yet this is the most crowded department in the team.

What was Joshua Mawira recruited to do?

We have goalkeeper Jairus Adira to thank for coming off the line on several occasions to save Ingwe.

It has become very difficult to pinpoint the shortcomings of our technical bench because they did not participate in recruitment of players hence the spotlight will always shine on the management for hiring their “friends” in the name of players.

After eight rounds of Kenyan Premier League (KPL), Mawira and others players in the team have not made it even on the bench! This and many other areas of concern shine spotlight on the technical bench and the management.

Of what use is to fans to have deadwoods who cannot make the substitute bench? Against Simba SC, two goal scored by Emmanuel Okwi and Clatous Chama got Oduro and Kamura out of position and Kipyegon was too heavy to cover the two. They were easy and stupid goals.

It is not a sin for a team to be concede for as long as it can offer a response, that is where the midfield and striking departments become useful.

In Tanzania, only Mukangula showed signs of brilliance upfront. It was too obvious Said Tsuma, Marvin Nabwire’s absence was noticeable in the midfield, but the technical bench delayed introducing Aziz Okaka and Vincent Oburu who combined well before the later netting the consolation.

Whereas the number nine position remains a major problem, the runs made by Brian Marita and Jeffary Odeny on the wings went begging with Simba defence flat-footed, yet we have strikers in the name of Wayi Yeka Tutawe who did not make any impact. This is despite him having been familiar with Tanzania clubs.

We cannot totally blame the playing unit. They do what they do as assigned by their technical bench.

At left back, Moses Mburu has always excelled, at the right back Yusuf Mainge is doing well, but the problem is with the midfield. What we are seeing of Marita, Odeny, Okaka and Whyvonne Isuza are pale of shadows of the players we knew last season. The four are the players who kept the team in the league.

Every time there was a mutiny in the team, these are the players who would lift the team from the jaws of the opponents, but the team cannot always rely on the ability of the four players.

They are human beings and can get fatigued and this is where the technical bench comes in.
What is the management doing to the deadwoods in the team? The technical bench supported by the management must be bold.

There is no need for the deadwoods continue drawing salary even when the colleagues are physically and mentally ready to play because of injuries and other distractions.

The fact that Isuza can play before recovering fully from an injury should be a pointer to the other louds that their time in the team is up.

We would have who do 18 players who are ready to do duty for the team rather than a bunch of louds whose only value is persistent complains.

In Dar, Isaac Kipyegon, Dennis Sikhayi were not ready for the tournament yet we have other players who would have actually replaced them!

The blunders in the defence, especially fullbacks should have founded early alarm bells for the technical bench to consider substitutions.

On the brighter side, it was refreshing to see young star, Cliff Achuka make a cameo appearance. In him, fans saw flashes of a young strikers. We hope he can build on what we saw.

After coach Marko Vasiljevic hopes of success in the SportPesa hopes were dashed, he focus should now be on the KPL.