Kenya Police FC’s head coach Etienne Ndayiragije refused to hit the panic button after his team faced a setback in their title pursuit, suffering a 1-0 loss to Ulinzi Stars in the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League on Friday, 18th April.
In a match that the law enforcement team needed to win to maintain their position at the top of the 18-team league table, it was Ulinzi Stars who left victorious after Boniface Muchiri netted the only goal of the encounter just after half-time.
The Police began the match sluggishly and struggled to penetrate a solid Ulinzi defence. Marvin Nabwire received a booking in the 22nd minute for a late tackle, and shortly after, in the 26th minute, they faced a setback as key midfielder Kenneth Muguna had to be replaced by Tyson Otieno due to what appeared to be a hamstring injury.
Muguna’s absence allowed Ulinzi to dominate control of midfield, leading to them threatening the Police goal, although the first half ended goalless. A minute into the second half, Muchiri scored the decisive goal, finishing off a superb pass from Yakeen Muteheli.
Despite Ndayiragije making three substitutions, bringing in David Irishura, David Simiyu, and Alvin Mang’eni for Clinton Kinanga, Francis Kahata, and Tyson Otieno, Ulinzi managed to secure their seventh victory of the season.
Meanwhile, Police faced their fourth defeat of the season, missing the chance to stay at the top with second-placed Tusker, who have 48 points and were set to play struggling Nairobi City Stars on Sunday, 19th April.
Title ambitions remain alive despite the loss
“It was a case of tough luck for us; we had chances but couldn’t convert them. Such is football; we are still in the race, the fight goes on, and we will continue to battle,” Ndayiragije stated.
When questioned about whether this defeat increased the pressure on him with Tusker and reigning champions Gor Mahia nipping at his heels, Ndayiragije remarked, “I am not feeling any pressure. When I took charge, the team was battling relegation, and now they sit atop the table. So how did we get there?”
“This shows that we are on the right track, we understand our objectives, and we need to remain focused. I am confident that we will achieve our goals by the end of the season.”
Prior to their defeat against Ulinzi Stars, Police had remained unbeaten across seven matches in all competitions. Their previous loss was a narrow 1-0 defeat to Mathare United on 20th February.
During that run, they managed a 0-0 draw with AFC Leopards, a 1-0 victory over MOFA in the Round of 32 of the FKF Cup, a 3-1 win against Murang’a Seal, a 1-0 triumph over Posta Rangers, a 0-0 draw with City Stars, and a 2-0 win over Kapenguria United in the Round of 16 of the Cup, leading up to the match against Ulinzi.
“We aren’t going to lower our guard and concede that we’ve given up on the title race. It’s unfortunate we dropped points against Ulinzi Stars when we intended to win. They were better than us on the day, but we will continue to fight,” Ndayiragije asserted.
“This loss means the other teams in pursuit will also drop points at some point, so why should we throw in the towel? Now is not the time to give up; we need to regroup and focus on the upcoming matches.
“We want to win every game we play and see where that leads us by the end of the season. I reiterate, we lost to Ulinzi because they outperformed us, not due to any other reason, and that’s the nature of football. We must accept the defeat but let it serve as a wake-up call; we have to win the next game.”
Ndayiragije also acknowledged that his side lacked effectiveness following Muguna’s departure due to injury.
“Muguna’s substitution was purely due to injury, not tactical; his early exit slowed our game considerably. We also missed Mohammed Bajaber, and without him, we struggled in that area. However, I hope they can recover in time for our next match,” Ndayiragije explained.
“In recent weeks, we have concentrated on refining our finishing capabilities, as it has been our primary concern up until now.
“Even in the match against Ulinzi, we created more than four opportunities but only converted one. There was a penalty that wasn’t awarded, which also counts as a missed chance. We are putting in the effort to improve our attacking play, as it has let us down before.”
Following their victory, Ulinzi Stars remain in 12th place with 31 points from 27 matches, having recorded seven wins, ten draws, and ten losses.
AFC Leopards plagued by injury woes
In other news, AFC Leopards’ coach Fred Ambani cited injuries to key players as a factor in their recent poor performance. The struggling team suffered yet another setback with a 1-0 defeat to Posta Rangers.
This loss marks their seventh defeat of the season, and they appear set to finish without silverware once more.
“We had numerous chances but did not take them; our opponents took theirs. Football is about capitalising on opportunities. We will review our mistakes from this match before the next game,” Ambani concluded.
AFC Leopards currently hold seventh position with 37 points from 26 matches while the crucial victory has nudged Rangers up to 14th position with 28 points from 27 matches.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
Fanpage: SportArena.com.au.
LiveScore – Live Sports Results & Odds.
