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Ingwe chairman Dan Shikanda explained the club’s transfer plans as they seek to pull all stops to ensure they are not pretenders to the throne in 2023-24
AFC Leopards chairman Dan Shikanda believes his side will need at least four new players for them to mount a title challenge in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League next season.
Leopards will go another season trophyless following their 2-1 loss to Kakamega Homeboyz in the semi-final of the FKF Cup on Saturday. Ingwe last won a title in 2017 and currently sit seventh on the log on 45 points, 19 behind leaders Tusker FC, which shows how disappointing they have been.
Patrick Aussems’ side had looked like they were going to challenge for the title but fell off at the beginning of April, managing only two wins out of nine since, to slip down the table and even the Belgian tactician’s gamble to solely focus on the FKF Cup failed to pay off.
Shikanda, however, feels their problems are down to lack of depth and experience, owing to a couple of transfer bans handed to the club by FIFA over failure to pay former players, but will seek to plug the gaps when the transfer market opens in readiness for next season.
“We have challenged the big guns, apart from Tusker taking six points from us, anyone above us has not taken more than three points from us,” Shikanda told Pulse Sports. “Gor Mahia, KCB, Nzoia, Police FC and that should tell you something about the team.”
“If these are the top teams and they are not taking six points from us, the difference is not that big. If you look at us against Tusker, the two matches, they were lucky to score those goals. In the first leg, they were given a dubious penalty they scored, we got a real penalty we didn’t score. Second game was balanced, they scored last minute against the run of play.
“For us to challenge for the league, we will need an extra three to four players just to have depth. We have been using about 15 players for the whole season in the league and cup.
“When we played Ulinzi Stars, we tried to use our second-string team and we realised the gap between second and first team is too wide. With the marathon season, our players have not been freshening up because they play Wednesday and weekend so we need freshness and rotation options.”
Leopards were handed a two-window transfer ban by FIFA in June 2022 over unpaid dues of Rwanda defender Soter Kayumba, forcing Aussems to rely on a number of youngsters but with the ban set to end in July, the club are ready to splash the cash.
Shikanda had given has backing to Aussems before the semi-final defeat to Homeboyz, stressing the need to have stability while giving the tactician an opportunity to strengthen the squad.
Aussems still has two years remaining on his contract and if he stays, Leopards fans will be demanding much more from him next season given he will be in his third year at the club.
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