Shabana Coach Reveals One 'Untimely' Moment That Cost Glamour Boys Victory Against Tusker

The Harambee Stars winger had to limp off injured in the 12th minute as Shabana squandered an early lead to draw 1-1 with Tusker at Kasarani Stadium on Sunday.

Shabana head coach Peter Okidi has attributed his side’s failure to secure victory against Tusker to the early injury suffered by key winger Brian Michira, which he says disrupted their game plan and momentum in the 1-1 draw at Kasarani Stadium on Sunday.

The Tore Bobe boys took an early lead in the 19th minute through Austin Odongo, but Ian Simiyu’s second-half strike for Tusker denied them all three points. 

The result means Shabana stay top of the table on goal difference with seven points, level with Posta Rangers, while Tusker moved up slightly to the relegation playoff spot with two points from three matches.

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Speaking after the match, an evidently frustrated Okidi admitted that Michira’s untimely injury forced him into an early tactical change that affected their rhythm.

“The team and medical staff had deemed him 100 percent fit, so when he got injured, it was a big blow because the team is built around him,” Okidi said. “The game plan had to change, and that’s why we ended up less effective.”

Okidi brought on Bronson Nsuguba to replace the injured midfielder. While Nsuguba contributed to Odongo’s goal, the coach acknowledged that Michira’s creativity and control were sorely missed.

“The player who came on still did his job and the goal came from his side,” he noted. “In the first half we dominated, but we did not have such a good second half. It’s not good for us that we didn’t get maximum points.”

We Conceded a Cheap Goal - Okidi

Okidi expressed disappointment at conceding what he described as a “cheap goal,” insisting that such lapses could hurt their title ambitions.

“We feel like we lost two points. When you want to win the championship, you cannot concede such goals,” he lamented. 

“We wanted to go into the international break with all nine points. Last season, we dropped out of the title race because of drawing games like this.”

Despite the setback, the Shabana boss remains optimistic that the  upcoming International break will allow his team to regroup and recover key players like Michira.

“It will help us reset, recover, and hopefully get Michira back fit again,” Okidi concluded. “We were not very effective in the final third, and that’s something we must work on before our next game.”