Ingwe boss backs coach Juma to steady ship

AFC Leopards chairman Dan Shikanda has reiterated that he has full confidence in coach Tom Juma despite a slow start in the opening two games of the season.

Juma was handed the mandate to lead the team after the departure of Belgian Patrick Aussems. In the two games that he has been in charge of the club, he has managed a draw against FC Talanta, while the other game ended in a 1-0 defeat to KCB.

After recruiting massively in the off-season window, a section of the fans expected a stronger start, and there are murmurs already on the team’s social platform after the unconvincing start, although the tactician was quick to downplay the suggestion that he was under pressure after losing to KCB.

He has now received much-needed backing from the club boss, who reiterated that he has full confidence in the former Kenyan international.

Kipyegon, Moraa, Omanyala to headline Kenya's charge for Diamond League titles in Eugene

"I have a million percent trust in Tom Juma. We wanted continuity in the team, and that is the reason we handed him this job," Shikanda said.

Shikanda was quick to dismiss Juma’s critics, backing him to steady the ship in the coming weeks.

"Struggles are part of football, and they will always happen. We have full confidence in him to do a good job this season. We have just completed six weeks of pre-season, and we are now ready to face our opponents after the international break.

"It would have been easy to get rid of Juma when Aussems left, but we decided to have that continuity, and it is the reason we retained him. We are confident that all will be well in the coming games."

The Leopards return to action on Saturday with a match against Muhoroni Youth in Kasarani, a game that TJ, as he is famously referred to, will be keen on winning in order to restore the fans’ confidence.

Shiasi dreams big after making national team cut