Ambani credits Otieno’s training effort after late winner against Ulinzi Stars
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Reading Time: 3min | Fri. 19.12.25. | 09:40
With the contest seemingly headed for a 1-1 draw, Otieno delivered a moment of magic, curling the ball into the net to win the match for Ingwe
AFC Leopards head coach Fred Ambani was full of praise for forward Victor Otieno after the youngster’s late goal sealed a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Ulinzi Stars at the Ulinzi Sports Complex on Thursday.
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With the contest seemingly headed for a 1-1 draw, Otieno delivered a moment of magic, curling the ball into the net to win the match for Ingwe.
The result moved the Big Cats to within two points of league leaders Gor Mahia and secured their first victory over the soldiers in over a year.
It proved to be a day for late drama for the 1998 Kenya Premier League champions, as they had taken the lead just before halftime through former Police FC midfielder Tyson Otieno in the 44th minute.
Ulinzi responded after the break when Paul Okoth cancelled out the opener, before Otieno, popularly known as Aguero within the squad, sparked scenes of jubilation among the Gadaa supporters who had filled the army base.
Speaking after the match, Ambani said the match winner’s decisive contribution was a reflection of the extra work he has been putting in on the training ground over the past few months.
The former Wazito head coach revealed that Otieno, who is the brother of KCB’s midweek hero Kelvin Etemesi, has shown noticeable improvement during training sessions, adding that the goal lifted the team’s belief as they continue to close the gap at the top of the table.
“I want to thank Victor because that goal was not a guess,” Ambani said. “He worked hard for it. Even in training, we have seen massive improvement, and that gives the team energy because we know we are closing in.”
Otieno was a regular figure during Tomas Trucha’s tenure at the club, finishing that campaign with five goals.
However, his influence appeared to dip after Ambani took over, with Ronald Bebeto and Victor Omune often preferred to shoulder the club’s scoring responsibility.
After finding himself coming off the bench on several occasions, the striker appears to have responded by increasing his workload behind the scenes, a commitment his coach was keen to acknowledge.
“It is something he has been working on for some time,” Ambani added. “As a team, it pushes us to fight more when you see such effort paying off.”
Ambani, a Premier League winner with Leopards during his playing days, also expressed satisfaction with the overall result, noting that his side had to show resilience against a much-improved Ulinzi Stars in the second half.
He explained that Leopards dominated large spells of the opening half, but Ulinzi emerged with greater intensity after the break, following an effective halftime team talk.
“First of all, I thank God for the three points. We controlled the first half, but in the second half, Ulinzi came back stronger and took over the game.”
“Their dressing room discussion worked, and they were clearly better than us at that point. We had to make several tactical changes to ensure we walked away with all three points.”
Leopards will now look to extend their five-match unbeaten run when they face Bidco United in their final match of the year next week, while hoping Gor Mahia drops points and allows Ingwe to close the year at the summit of the league.
