Tactical Analysis: Delving into Homeboyz 1-0 win over Ulinzi Stars

Kakamega Homeboyz strutted into Nairobi off a string of very positive results with 3 wins out of their last 5 games, the coach Patrick Odhiambo-led side came into the clash against Ulinzi Stars as the league's top scorers on 16 goals.

In this piece, we set out to understand how the two teams set up to exploit each other.

Ulinzi have struggled with the issue of width in their previous encounters and their head coach Anthony Kimani has looked to sort this out by adopting a 1-4-3-3 formation, translating into a 3-2-3-2 formation in attack. Ulinzi had the, so far, exemplary Stephen Ochieng in goal.

Byron Odiaga and Shannel Makwata manned the fullback positions with Ulinzi mainstay Bonventure Muchika being teamed up with Alex Masinde. Issa Rashid was the deepest-lying midfielder of the trio with Farraj Ominde advanced slightly and Kelvin Thairu who has regained his midas touch under coach Kimani playing at the tip of the trio.

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Evergreen Boniface Muchiri was on the flanks with Benjamin Murimi manning the other while goals scorer extraordinaire Enosh Ochieng led the line for the military men.

Kakamega Homeboyz set out in a 1-4-1-4-1 formation, Ugandan James Ssetuba was in goal. Brian Buleti and Farouk Musisi were the fullbacks as Portipher Odhiambo and Brian Chala manned the backline.

Former Ulinzi Stars man Francis Omondi was tasked to screen his backline as the single pivot, covering the space between the second and last lines of defence. The front four behind the striker consisted of Eston Esiye and Moses Mudavadi as the advanced Ambrose Sifuna and Stephen Opoku rotated on the flanks Moses Shummah was the main man in attack.

In possession, Homeboyz looked to attack in a 1-4-1-1-4 formation with Mudavadi pushing up to play just off Shumah, Shumah would majorly look to play run in the channels, off the shoulder of defenders and Mudavadi’s late forays into the box helped cover the central spaces left.

Ulinzi looked to defend in a 1-4-4-1-1 midblock cutting off any central forays and their triggers to press were back passes or ball to the fullback, they were very good in closing the backline down and restricted the Homeboyz defenders from playing out thus the visitors resorted to long balls in behind. This was done well by Brian Chala and Francis Omondi who would look to drop between the center backs to then ping long passes into the spaces in behind the Ulinzi fullbacks for the wingers to attack or the runs from Shummah.

The Ulinzi midblock looked to frustrate the Kakamega-based side. Another issue was the threat in behind posed by the lively Ulinzi wingers in Muchiri and Murimi.

The former had the beating of his man all game and this heavily restricted the fullback from advancing. On the opposite flank, Makwata looked to advance and create double teams on the Homeboyz fullbacks.

Ulinzi on the other hand looked to control the game through quick short passing. This necessitated proximity among the players and they achieved this using variation of a 3-2-5 and 3-2-3-2 formations in attack. Left-back Makwata was the most advanced of the fullbacks with Odiaga staying back to form a three-man rest defence.

Issa and Faraj in the middle ensured defensive solidity and were the primary circulators of the ball. The left winger Muchiri looked to come inside leaving space for Makwata to hold width, while Murimi held width on the right side. While Ulinzi did not look to utilize maximum width during their attacking play, they managed to create overloads all over the field that they often used to arrive in the Homeboyz attacking third in settled possession and look to create chances through intricate play and runs in behind the Homeboyz backline.

The best of the overloads was seen as they tried to exploit the space left behind by Homeboyz Right back, Bulleti, who had been given the license to join attacks. The wide combinations between Makwata, Murimi, and Farraj often were too much to handle and the Kakamega-based club often had problems containing the Ulinzi attacks on that side.

On the right side, the Ulinzi overloads were created by Muchiri and Thairu with Issa Rashid often being at the base of the trident. However, while Ulinzi were enjoying a lot of attacking space on the left side, it left them exposed with Homeboyz winger Sifuna Ambrose staying wide on that side looking to stretch the Ulinzi defense.

This meant the Soldiers’ Center back Muchika was often pulled out to cover the space left by Makwata and in so doing left pockets of space centrally for Moses Shummah to attack.

While Ulinzi looked to play with short passes, controlling possession, and creating overloads, Homeboyz always forced the game into a more transitional game with long balls over the top and runners in behind and wingers stretching the military men’s backline.

Homeboyz’s game plan looked to be the better working due to their strength and physicality which meant they often came out of every duel victorious. Chala’s long balls often found the tall and physical Shummah with the Homeboyz target man often proving too physical for the Ulinzi center backs.

Coach Patrick Odhiambo trusted his side to win the aerial duels they created and create chances after getting the second ball. Almost all the Homeboyz attacks were second-wave attacks meaning they had to win the first ball and use the second ball to create chances.

With Mudavadi often joining Shummah up top to occupy the central zones, with Shummah himself running the channels and their wingers staying wide holding width and right-back Bulleti joining them in attack, Homeboyz had enough numbers to duel and create chances against a less physical Ulinzi side.

Ulinzi countered this by double-teaming the Homeboyz attackers but this always left a free man on the opposite side and if Homeboyz managed to get the ball to Francis Omondi at the base of the midfield, a long switch from their midfield anchorman Omondi or any of the center backs especially Chala was always on the cards.

These changes in point of attacks proved too hot to handle for Ulinzi, but the military men found ways to hold.

When Homeboyz couldn’t create chances from open play, they would often go for set plays, trusting themselves to win any aerial duels and direct the ball toward the Ulinzi net. Every set piece, including a simple freekick inside their half was launched deep into the Ulinzi penalty box. Homeboyz goalkeeper Ssetuba, his center backs, and midfielder Omondi were instrumental in getting the ball as high up the field as possible and this led to their match-winning goal with a freekick being launched high up the field from deep inside Homeboyz half, they managed to win the first ball and kept the ball inside the box for substitute Paul Oscar to finish and give the Kakamega outfit the three points, and continue their brilliant form.

Overall, it was an evenly matched game tactically with very little to separate the two teams. It took just one lapse in concentration from the Ulinzi defenders and a well-taken set piece from the Homeboyz side to break the deadlock at the death.