Nairobi Star (Nairobi)
Phillip Mbaji
9 March 2011
HAVING lost their first two crucial matches in the Kenya Premier League, Mombasa’s Bandari FC have decided to go back to the armoury for their final arsenal.
The Mombasa-based club have beefed up the squad ahead of the weekend match against Sofapaka. Coach Oliver Bango said Simon King Kallai from Ghana, Uganda’s Peter Musiime Mungi and Nigeria’s Franklin Opara will be in the line up for this weekend’s match due against former league champions at Mbaraki Sports ground.
“These players have been on the bench ever since the league started due to some misunderstandings. But we have since resolved everything and we have cleared them for this weekend’s fixture against Sofapaka,” said Bango.
He said the 4-1 loss during last weekend’s match against Kenya Commercial Bank in Nairobi was as a result of massive injuries the club was facing. He said half of their first eleven players were down with injuries hence didn’t line-up for the match. “Apart from engaging the services of these three players, we also intend to bring on board the players who did not play in the KCB match due to injuries as they have fully recovered now,” added Bango.
The official said the team travelled to Nairobi last weekend for the KCB face-off without five of their dependable players who were then nursing injuries, a situation he claimed contributed to the miserable loss. Bandari claim to have lost to KCB due to the absence of defenders Dennis Ochieng, Samuel Mayeye, Mohammed Shariff and Mwajepo Khamis, who were down with injuries.
The midfield was also weak for the KPA-sponsored team as two of their key players-Husein Koka and Chrispin Odula-were not after suffering knee and ankle injuries respectively. ” It was this situation that gave Chemelil Sugar undue advantage in our opening match, but we hope the return of our top players will boost us a great deal,” he said. Mombasa fans are now a disappointed lot after Mombasa sides in the Premier League performed dismally in their opening matches. Bandari lost to Chemilil Sugar and KCB while Congo United held Awendo’s Sony Sugar to a 1-1 draw and stumbled 1-2 to Tusker FC’s tactics at Mbaraki. “To change the direction of the games, the management of these two teams need to go back to the drawing board, evaluate where the rain started beating them and act because there is still time to do so and restore the confidence of the Coast fans,” said Mombasa Sports Club football patron, Hamid Altimamy.
AllAfrica – All the Time
Taken from:
Kenya: Seasiders Bandari Turn to Their Foreign Legion in KPL Battle