Ndikumana working his way up after falling down the pecking order

Bandari custodian Justin Ndikumana has resorted to double training sessions and extra gym work in order to regain his place in the starting team.

Ndikumana has had to content with life on the substitutes bench from the final five rounds of last season and the first two of the current campaign owing to the competition from Michael Wanyika and Joseph Okoth.

Wanyika was preferred towards the tail end of the past season and was in goal during the opening duel of the season against Mathare United.

However, the former Kakamega Homeboyz glove man missed their subsequent game against Bidco United owing to illness and his place was taken by Okoth who returned to the club from KCB.

Ndikumana who acknowledged that he deserved the break thanks to the number of matches he had played before said he was laboring to convince coach Andre Casa Mbungo that he was ready again for competitive football.

“The only way to play again is to work harder and pray for my time to come. I am grinding hard in training and in the gym just to be ready for action. I am patient and at the same time learning a lot while on the bench. I had played a mammoth of games in the past years and the decision by the coach has also helped me rest although players do not want to go for more than three matches without playing. The more you play the more you gain experience,” he said.

The Burundian international in the meanwhile praised Wanyika and Okoth for injecting competition in the department. He said the two who have a number of Harambee Stars call ups between them were not pushovers and muscling them out the sticks is a tall order but a doable one. The former Sofapaka goalkeeper pledged to back the colleague who will be called for duty.

“The competition from the duo is good for the team and the department. It has helped get the best out of us and I am confident we will let in the fewest goals this season. I am fully behind the shot stopper who is summoned for duty for they also supported me when I was playing,” he added.