Former AFC Leopards captain outlines how Ingwe can end 26-year title drought

©AFC Leopards

Former AFC Leopards captain outlines how Ingwe can end 26-year title drought

Joel Omotto 07:00 - 14.05.2024

The former AFC Leopards midfielder has given the diagnosis for the Kenyan soccer giants who have been underperforming for nearly 30 years.

Former AFC Leopards midfielder Charles Okwemba has advised his ex-club to ensure they have a good start and get it right in the transfer market if they want to end their title drought.

The former soccer field player played as a midfielder for the AFC Leopards during his playing days, helping them claim some titles.

Ingwe are still waiting for a league title since 1998 and have not looked like ending that drought given their poor performances in recent seasons.

By contrast, their bitter rivals Gor Mahia have won eight of the last 10 titles and are two games away from adding another one and Okwemba feels Ingwe would do well to learn from K’Ogalo.

“Leopards have had a lot of challenges because for a team to be able to compete, we must first of all have stability, a strong start to the season and also a good plan if we want to win the league title. A good start will always be helpful to any team,” Okwemba told Citizen Digital.

Okwemba urged Leopards to avoid the temptation of buying so many players every season as it delays their rebuilding process and only focus on key areas that need strengthening.

“If you lose a lot of players, it affects the team immensely regardless of how you deal with it. Look at Gor Mahia. They are never losing players season in season out like we do,” he added.

“It’s only a matter of tweaking a bit, bolstering a few players to strengthen the team for success and not doing it like you are overhauling it. This is why Gor Mahia are winning the league frequently unlike us (AFC Leopards).”

Leopards, who are currently sixth on the FKF Premier League table, endured one of their worst starts to a season when they failed to win any of their first seven league matches, a run of form that claimed the job of club legend Tom Juma.

Current coach Tomas Trucha would replace him in October but only managed one win in eight matches before he turned it around in 2024 which has seen them move up the table.

They, are however, still miles off challenging Gor Mahia for the title with boardroom wrangles also affecting their decision making on numerous occasions.

Ingwe can, however, end their eight-year trophy drought if they manage to win the FKF Cup this season with in-form Kenya Police lying in wait in the semi-final.

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