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T. NashipaeSimbas coach Kyatwa reflects on tough loss to Uganda Cranes
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Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 06.11.23. | 13:02
The Simbas will be hungry for revenge when they welcome the Uganda Cranes in Kisumu on November 11
Kenya Simbas assistant coach Carlos Kyatwa has called for focus from his charges following their narrow 21-20 defeat to Uganda Cranes in the Victoria Cup final played at the King's Park Arena in Bweyogerere, Uganda, on Sunday.
The Simbas started on a high and were trailing 12-6 at halftime before the Cranes powered past them in the dying minutes with a penalty that served as the final blow for the Kenyans.
Reflecting on the challenging weekend, a visibly concerned coach, Kyatwa, implied the need for concentration from his charges. Following on from a tough loss to Uganda is not something the Simbas have to do often. In fact, it has been more than four since June 22, 2019, when Cranes won 16-13 over the Simbas.
"It is an unfamiliar position that we find ourselves in, and we have ourselves to blame. The guys did not show up as expected. As one of the leaders of the boys, I take full responsibility. These are young boys," he started.
Despite that, the Kabras RFC tactician was optimistic that the loss served them with valuable lessons on what was at stake in the game.
"Sometimes it is good to lose to really understand what is at stake. I don't think we put any structures into play; we did not do anything that we had planned to do," he explained.
The Simbas will be hungry for revenge when they welcome the Uganda Cranes in Kisumu on November 11 for the return leg of the Elgon Cup. They will be enjoying home advantage as well as the services of head coach Jerome Paarwater. The tactician who was with the Kenya Lionesses in Dubai for the WXV3 tournament is expected to bring a wealth of experience.
"There is only one thing to do: go back to the drawing board and look at the game review. Jerome is coming back; experience will tell, but more than anything, these boys need to go and do some introspection," he concluded.
Eliphaz Emong was named the Man of the Match. Ivan Magomu got two awards: the overall top point scorer and the overall tournament most valuable player.
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