Confident Wanzala aims to make stronger comeback next season

Kakamega Homeboyz rookie Ibrahim Wanzala is hoping to make a swift comeback next season.

The Junior Stars custodian season hasn't been the fairest one, having witnessed a rocky campaign.

Wanzala dropped down in the Kakamega Homeboyz goalkeeping pecking order at the start of the season, with Faruk Shikalo and James Ssetuba preferred ahead of him to man Homeboyz's goal post.

However, the former Mayenje Santos goalie improved on his limited playing time by manning Homeboyz's goal, albeit for two matches against Muhoroni Youth and Sofapaka, which Homeboyz won 2-0 and 5-0, respectively.

His performance in both fixtures resulted in two clean sheets, earning him a Junior Stars call-up for the CECAFA under-18 championships played in Kisumu and Kakamega counties in December 2023.

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Wanzala rose to prominence during the regional competition, where he only conceded three goals and made two heroic penalty saves in the national U18 team's semi-final match against Rwanda.

Additionally, his outstanding performance during the under-18 tournament, despite losing out to Uganda 2-1 in the finals, saw him win the tournament's golden glove accolade.

Nonetheless, Wanzala, who joined Homeboyz in 2022, suffered an unexpected setback following his outstanding performance with the Junior Stars.

The young custodian sustained anterior cruciate ligament damage in his left knee, keeping him out for the majority of the season.

Having made steady strides in his recuperation journey, which saw him feature for Homeboyz in their 2-1 loss to Posta Rangers, whilst from the bench, the top rising goalie blamed his misfortunes on injuries.

"It has been a disappointing season, particularly after the breakthrough midway through the first half of the season. I believe the knee injury derailed my progress and is the primary reason for my absence from action," he stated.

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Wanzala's absence prompted the defending Mozzartbet Cup champions to seek out the services of Simon Masaka from Sofapaka during the mid-season transfer window.

Despite the increased competition since Masaka's arrival, Wanzala, who kept six clean sheets in twelve matches the previous season, is beaming with confidence as he prepares to compete for his place in the upcoming season.

"Competition has increased since Masaka's arrival, which has helped the goalkeeping department. Regardless of the competition, I am working hard to return stronger next season and hopefully be preferred in the starting spot," he concluded.