Okoth working socks off to fix Shabana leaky defence

There is no doubt that Shabana fans have brought a breath of fresh air in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League given their resolve to back the team that returned to the competition after 17 years in the cold.

When it comes to attendance you cannot ignore the good job Shabana fans have been doing.

However, the club doesn’t feature much in the early title race thanks to the poor start they have had in the season as the Glamour Boys have won once, drawn four times, and lost twice in the opening seven rounds.

To match the energy in the stands, coach Sammy Okoth is working his socks off in a bid to reward the support the fans and other stakeholders have been investing in the team.

“Conceding late especially in our home matches has been the major undoing. Lapses in concentration, timidity in defending, and carelessness have really worked against us. We are doing our best as a bench to improve. Our fans have been backing and understanding and we encourage them to carry on with that spirit. We intend to make them see the value for their time, presence, and money,” said Okoth.

Besides fixing the defense, Okoth revealed the need to improve the team’s mental strength which he said had taken a nosedive after letting in goals deep into stoppage time for three times.

“When a challenge keeps on recurring, the possibility of it affecting your mental strength becomes high. We are engaging and encouraging our players to improve on this aspect,” he stated.

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While Okoth and his backroom staff continue to figure out the best way possible to address the defensive problem, the former Zoo FC gaffer called on the senior players at the club to assume more responsibility.

Okoth said the experienced players at the club had additional roles to play as far as leadership and injecting confidence in the team were concerned.

“One of the reasons as to why we added senior players to the team was to have role models on the pitch. They are doing a decent job but there is still room for improvement as much is expected of them,” remarked Okoth.

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Shabana have a date with Ulinzi Stars this weekend at the Lang’ata Complex.

The last time the team played at the facility, they forced AFC Leopards to a 1-1 draw in a game that saw fans from either team fill the stadium.