AFC Leopards provide injury update on four key players
Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 17.03.26. | 20:07
Head coach Fred Ambani will now be tasked with reshuffling his squad as Leopards seek to close the gap and reignite their push to end a 28-year league title drought
FKF Premier League giants AFC Leopards have been dealt a significant setback after confirming that four key players will be unavailable ahead of their crucial midweek fixture against Nairobi United.
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In an official update released via the club’s social media platforms, the 12-time league champions announced that assistant captain Kayci Odhiambo, Emmanuel Lwangu, Elias Mugane, and Maxwell Otieno are all sidelined as they continue to recover from various injury setbacks.
The update revealed that promising attacker Elias Mugane and winger Maxwell Otieno are currently in the rehabilitation phase following surgical procedures.
Mugane, the reigning National Super League (NSL) Golden Boot winner, underwent surgery to repair an anterior cruciate ligament injury, while Otieno had a procedure to address a meniscus-related issue.
The duo now faces a race against time to regain full fitness.
Meanwhile, vice-captain Kayci Odhiambo is set to miss the next two weeks after sustaining a foot injury during Leopards’ heavy 4-1 defeat to Mathare United.
His absence is expected to be keenly felt, given his instrumental role in stabilising the team’s recent resurgence.
Defender Emmanuel Lwangu has also been ruled out for a similar duration after suffering an ankle sprain in the same fixture.
The setback comes at an unfortunate time for the budding defender, who had only just returned to competitive action following a previous spell on the sidelines.
Confirming the developments, the club stated:
“Elias Mugane and Maxwell Otieno are still out recovering after undergoing surgical procedures to repair their anterior cruciate and meniscus injuries, respectively. Kaycie Odhiambo will sit out for the next two weeks after suffering a foot injury.
On his return to first-team action, Emmanuel Lwangu sustained an ankle sprain in our FKF-PL match against Mathare United last weekend. He will be out for two weeks as he undergoes treatment and rehabilitation. We wish them a quick recovery.”
The injuries to Odhiambo and Lwangu, in particular, present a massive blow for Ingwe as they look to bounce back and maintain pressure in the title race.
The 1998 league champions, currently sitting second on the log, trail leaders and arch-rivals Gor Mahia by 10 points.
Head coach Fred Ambani will now be tasked with reshuffling his squad as Leopards seek to close the gap and reignite their push to end a 28-year league title drought.
AFC Leopards will return to action on Wednesday, 18 March, when they face Nairobi United in a rescheduled FKF-PL clash at Nyayo National Stadium, with the fixture presenting an opportunity to respond to their recent setback and keep their title ambitions alive.