AFC Leopards head coach sends message to fans after dull season start
Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 23.09.25. | 19:51
Ingwe were chasing a first league win over Batoto ba Mungu since December 2020, but their poor start left them on the back foot
AFC Leopards head coach Fred Ambani says his immediate task is to integrate the club’s new signings into the squad before their next league outing, after his side was forced to settle for a point in their opening fixture against Sofapaka on Saturday at the Ulinzi Sports Complex.
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Ingwe were chasing a first league win over Batoto ba Mungu since December 2020, but their poor start left them on the back foot.
They conceded inside two minutes, before rallying to earn a 1-1 draw – a result that disappointed many of the Leopards’ fans, some of whom left the stadium before the final whistle.
Ambani admitted that the lack of cohesion in his squad, following a raft of new arrivals, played a role in the performance. The club recruited nine players in the off-season to replace more than ten departures after the 2024/25 campaign.
“We have new players in the team. Maybe with time, they will get to know each other and follow instructions,” Ambani said. “We were so unlucky to concede in the first minute because it really messed up what we had planned.”
The former Leopards striker conceded that, given how they started the game, a draw was a fair reflection of the contest.
“We didn’t start well…I’ll admit to that. But a draw is enough for us because we couldn’t do anything more than that,” he noted.
“What I’d like to urge the fans is to be patient because things will work out. We have a good team…it’s all about the gelling.”
He also credited his players for showing character after the early setback.
“The players recollected themselves, and they came back to score a goal. A draw was not what we expected, but we have to take the point and move on.”
Ingwe will take a break from league action this weekend, with their fixture against Nairobi United postponed as Naibois host Uganda’s NEC FC in the CAF Confederation Cup at Nyayo Stadium.
AFC Leopards will resume their FKF Premier League campaign on Friday, 3 October, with a clash against Posta Rangers.
