Tusker defender Michael Kibwage has warned Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League champions Gor Mahia to watch over their shoulders as the league gathers pace.
This comes at the back of their 5-0 hammering of KCB last weekend at Police Sacco Stadium, which Kibwage says is a sign of the good things to come.
“Beating a top side like KCB hands down to register our fourth straight win in five games without conceding any goal is not a mean feat considering the high standards in the league. This makes us automatic title contenders,” said Kibwage.
Tusker started the 2023/2024 season badly but picked momentum just before the festive season, and completed the first leg on a high against the bankers to move to fifth spot.
“We started poorly partly because the team hadn’t gelled well, but every department is now working perfectly because we haven’t conceded in the last five games while pumping in 11 against our opponents. This shows something special is going on at Ruaraka,” added Kibwage
He congratulated the playing unit for a job well done and singled out the impeccable back-line of Thomas Teka, Daniel Sakari, Collins Odhiambo, Boniface ‘Kajos’ Onyango, Charles Momanyi, and goalkeeper Brian Bwire for putting in an extra shift.
The Brewers assistant captain says morale is high in the team ahead of matches against Sofapaka, Gor Mahia and Bidco next, in that order. He said they plan to play every match as a final, with the business end of the season looming.
Last season, Tusker relinquished the league title to K’Ogalo on the last day of the season, and also lost the FKF Cup finals to Kakamega Homeboyz, to miss on a continental ticket— a move Kibwage says has motivated them to fight even harder to avoid another disappointment.
“We are already in the mid-season transfer window and a lot of changes are expected in different teams, with another 17 games left to wrestle the title from Gor under experienced coach Robert Matano, so we have to keep calm,” he added.
The 26-year-old Kenyan international remains focused on the title race and says he’s ready to challenge for a spot in the Harambee Stars’ team, having been overlooked for a long time.
