- Shabana have only one win in eight matches
- They were thrashed 4-0 by Ulinzi Stars
- The club faces Gor Mahia next
Sammy Okoth has resigned as the Shabana FC head coach, announcing his decision immediately after his side was handed a 4-0 humbling by Ulinzi Stars at the Lang’ata Complex on Sunday.
Shabana suffered their heaviest defeat in eight matches of their top flight return, and with pressure mounting on the tactician even before the game, he decided to call it quits immediately after the final whistle.
“Everything didn’t go right and it is very unfortunate it happened this way. I am not okay with whatever happened and I feel I should let go at the moment and I should just relax and let someone else come and do the job,” Okoth said, speaking after the Ulinzi match.
He added; “This (4-0) is a defeat that I have never picked since I started my career as a coach. I feel that it is the right thing to do at the moment. This is a team with a lot of fans and they deserve much better than what happened today.”
Shabana made a return to fop flight football for the first time in 17 years after they won last year’s National Super League (NSL), but they have found life tough. They have won only once, a shock 1-0 victory over struggling Tusker FC.
Third defeat of the season
Their defeat at the hands of Ulinzi Stars was their third this season, while they have played to four draws.
Despite the turbulent run at the club, Okoth says he leaves his head held high, and believes he has done enough to raise the profile of the club despite their struggles in the Premier League.
“I am proud of whatever I have done since I got into this team. They also know what I have done, assembling a team and getting them promoted. I leave feeling proud. They gave me an opportunity and I have done what I felt was right with the team,” the tactician said.
Okoth has also urged the faithful Shabana fans, who have been thronging all their matches home and away, not to get discouraged by the results. He says they should keep supporting the team and he believes they will soon find their footing.
Against Ulinzi, Shabana were undone by military precision.
Ulinzi lead 2-0 at halftime
Paul Muchika gave the soldiers the lead on the half hour mark, before Mark Bikokwa doubled the tally five minutes to the break. A brilliant training ground routine freekick saw Shannel Makwatta lay a cross from the left and Bikokwa tapped it home from inside the box.
In the second half, they continued with their impressive outing when Enosh Ochieng scored the first of his two, stealing a yard of space infront of his marker to head home from a Boniface Muchiri cross.
Enosh completed his double in the 64th minute when he picked a rebound inside the box and thumped it into the roof of the net after the Shabana keeper punched a Makwatta cross right into his path.
Shabana have a rough patch ahead of them as they face off with record Kenyan champions Gor Mahia at the Kasarani Stadium on Wednesday.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login