Akwana reveals halftime pep talk that inspired Sofapaka's comeback against Mara Sugar
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Reading Time: 2min | Wed. 29.10.25. | 08:36
The experienced tactician admitted his side’s performance was below expectations but praised the impact of his second-half substitutes
Sofapaka head coach Ezekiel Akwana has credited his halftime pep talk for salvaging a point in their 2-2 draw against Mara Sugar FC in a Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKFPL) match played at Dandora Stadium on Tuesday, 28 October.
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The 2009 league champions had to come from two goals behind to share the spoils with the Sugar Millers, just days after a convincing victory over Murang’a Seal.
Batoto ba Mungu, however, looked like a pale shadow of the side that dazzled over the weekend.
They appeared disjointed, particularly in attack, where they struggled to break down the defensive wall marshalled by Vincent Mulama, Drona Langa, and Robinson Musungu.
Speaking after the match, Akwana said his halftime message was simple: just stick to the game plan.
“I told the boys to go back to how we trained and play to our plan,” Akwana revealed.
“We did not play well, not like how we did against Murang’a Seal. We played badly.”
The experienced tactician admitted his side’s performance was below expectations but praised the impact of his second-half substitutes.
“The moment I made the changes and adjusted player positions, we came back stronger and scored two goals,” he said.
Sofapaka’s comeback began through substitute Stanley Lugalia before Joseph Kuloba completed the turnaround with a late equaliser in stoppage time.
Looking ahead, Akwana said their next match against newly promoted Nairobi United will be a must-win encounter.
“In our next fixture, we have to win because our position on the table is not where we want to be. We must improve and get maximum points,” he noted.
He further stressed the need to sharpen their finishing in training, admitting that poor conversion cost them maximum points against Mara Sugar.
“Nairobi will be a tough match. We need to work on our finishing because it’s very wanting.
In the first half, our strikers kept losing the ball, but in the second half, when they held it better, we managed to score two goals.”
