
Ochieng wary of Nairobi Water’s transition despite KHF dominance
Reading Time: 2min | Tue. 04.04.23. | 13:53
The team won this season's title unbeaten
Kenya Handball Federation (KHF) champions Nairobi Water Queens have had a nine-season winning streak since clinching their first title in 2013.
As they picked their ninth on the weekend with an unbeaten run of 22 matches, coach Jack Ochieng underscored the need to work on bringing in new players to ensure a smooth transition.
“I put together the team in 2011 and we finished in third place in our first season. The next season we were placed second then bagged our maiden title in 2013 and we have not looked back since.
Many of the veteran players, including the current team manager were in that initial squad and we managed to recruit many of the players who are currently in the team in 2015 and 2016.
They have stuck together over the years and have become a formidable squad but we have not done any recruitment in a long time and that is worrying. We need to make some additions with young players so they can learn from the current crop and keep the team’s good run going,” offered Ochieng.
The tactician admits that the team’s dominance has been put to the test in the last two seasons adding that experience has been their only saving grace but there is a limit to how long they can rely on that to keep winning.
Ulinzi Sharks have emerged as the toughest opponent for Queens in the last two seasons, including during the Super Cup, coming to within a few goals of forcing draws or picking wins.
In their latest encounter, the Emmanuel Kieti-coached Sharks rallied to tie the match on 24 goals but some costly mistakes with unforced turnovers saw the champions go on to win the game 28-25 leaving the soldiers with some work to do if they are to dethrone Ochieng’s charges in the near future.
Season 2022/23 Kenya handball League pic.twitter.com/hLGN8cCbSY
— kenya Handball Federation (@handball_kenya) April 4, 2023









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