AFC Leopards can still catch up with Gor Mahia at the top – Kimani

BetOdds KPL Leopards v Tusker Tusker Leopards

Ingwe interim coach remains confident they can reduce the 10-point gap between them and KPL table toppers K’Ogalo

AFC Leopards coach Anthony Kimani says they are not giving up in their quest to wrestle the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) title from Gor Mahia.

Ingwe suffered a blow in the race for the title after they lost 1-0 to Tusker in a league match played at Afraha Stadium in Nakuru on Sunday.

The Brewers needed a second-half goal courtesy of Timothy Otieno to end Ingwe’s recent run of three unbeaten matches and thus puncture their hopes of moving up the 17-team league table.

Despite lying 10 points behind leaders Gor Mahia, the interim coach has maintained they will not give up yet and will fight until the final matchday.

“Not at all...not at all, the title race is far from over, the nature of football is things can change so quickly because the top teams can drop points, and we are not ready to give up,” Kimani told AFC Leopards TV after the defeat to Tusker.

“We all know the 10-point gap is something that can easily be breached and we will do the same and keep winning our matches and get maximum points from our matches.”

Speaking on the match against Tusker, Kimani said: “Well we knew we were coming to face one of the high performing teams or one of the best sides in [the KPL], they have been having good results lately and they have been very consistent and we knew we had a very tough job to do.

“We were well prepared for the job and had a good 45 minutes and I feel that is when we should have seized our moment and put ourselves in the driving position, but we did not, they got a chance and used to score the winner and it was very difficult for our boys to pick themselves up and get an equalizer.”

On the missed penalty which was converted by new boy Elvis Rupia and saved by Tusker keeper Robert Mboya, Kimani said: “If we scored the penalty it could have been the turning point but I have already said earlier it was, not the only chance we created in the first half, we had a few chances we should have made use of but we didn’t.

“Going forward again we are going to try and ensure our boys remain calm especially in the attacking third because I feel that is what we were lacking in the first half, that composure was lacking and that is why we could not get the cutting edge to ensure at least we get a goal.

“I am very impressed with the boys, they gave all and they tried to push but nothing went their way.

On the approach of the game, “Our job was to try and ensure we stick to our plan, we do everything possible and ensure we capitalise on their long balls, and our two defenders did a good job, I cannot fault any players because they did well, and today [Sunday] was just bad a day in the office.”

The win enabled Tusker to move to second on the 17-team table with 42 points, displacing Kakamega Homeboyz who dropped points in Mombasa after a 1-1 draw against Bandari on Saturday.

2020-02-10 10:00:03

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