- Tusker will be missing all their central defenders
- They have lost two matches in a row
- Gor Mahia face Bidco in a tricky duel
Tusker FC are faced with a defensive crisis ahead of this weekend’s duel with Sofapaka away in Machakos, with all their central defenders missing.
Skipper Charles Momanyi is out for two months with a foot injury, same as Tom Teka who remains sidelined with a stubborn knee strain. He has been given up to six weeks before returning to action.
Eugene Asike will also miss the tie having aggravated a grade one meniscus tear in last weekend’s defeat to Gor Mahia.
Michael Kibwage will be suspended for the game after his straight red in the same match, and this will leave the brewers with no natural centre back for the trip to Sofapaka.
Coach Robert Matano will have a headache to pick his central defensive pairing, and he might be forced to convert some of the players into temporary solutions.
Left back Boniface Onyango has previously played in central defensive positions while Jimmy Mbugua is a utility who can play across the back four. The tactician might also consider pulling in right back Collins Odhiambo to the centre, with Daniel Sakari starting on the right.
Stem poor run
The brewers are faced with a tricky tie having lost back to back matches and will need to win the duel to ensure they stem a poor tide.
They come up against a Sofapaka side who have a small bounce of confidence after winning their first match of the season last weekend when they beat Police FC 1-0 at the same venue.
The club has also bolstered their technical bench with the addition of Francis Xavier as an assistant coach.
Meanwhile, midfielder Humphrey Mieno will be facing his former side for the first time. Mieno was a long time Tusker FC captain, but left the side after the end of his contract and re-joined Sofapaka.
Elsewhere, Gor Mahia head coach Jonathan McKinstry expects a difficult duel when his side takes on Bidco United at Kasarani Stadium.
Gor Mahia FC players line up before a past match
Gor are unbeaten after seven matches this season, but with a tricky run of three matches in seven days awaiting, the Irish tactician says they need to be smart on how they manage their load levels to maintain the form.
Gor expect tough task
“We face a very tough schedule over the past one week and we need to be very careful on how we handle our load. But for us we are taking a match at a time and now the focus is on Bidco,” the tactician said.
He added; “They are a very good team and we should be careful not to give them space to operate because if we do they will hurt us. We also need to take our chances early enough.”
The tactician has praised his players on their performance at the start of the season so far, saying they have shown improved maturity compared to the beginning of last term.
In other matches scheduled for Saturday, Police FC will take on FC Talanta at home, Posta Rangers host Bandari at Kasarani Annex while Muhoroni Youth will welcome Murang’a Seal at their backyard.
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