Kibera Soccer Ladies coach David Vijago is worried about his team’s striking force after five matches into the Kenya Women’s Premier League season.
He is, however, impressed with the strides made by his defence so far in the competition.
“Last season, we conceded a lot of goals but so far out of five matches, we have only conceded a goal,” Vijago said.
He admitted that scoring has been a problem for his girls.
“We are not scoring as much as we ought to, but I believe the fact that we are not conceding is a good thing and we want to build up on this.”
Kibera, who finished fourth last season, are keen to tighten the defence further and Vijago is confident the move will help them increase their points tally.
“When the season started, I said I want more points and my position remains the same. Police didn’t beat us with a lot of points when they lifted the trophy last season and I am keen to turn tables on them. I don’t want to put too much pressure on the girls, but I want to prepare them mentally to go for more points. I want them to reduce the draws and losses,” he said.
The departure of top scorer Nancy Atako has left a significant void in Kibera’s attack and Vijago admitted that her exit caught them by surprise.
“We are targeting mid-season to see if we can get at least two or three strikers to fill in her gap. Currently, Joyce Namwendwa has had to change from defence to striker while Zainabu Hamisi and Pauline Achieng are the other options,” he said.
Vijago noted: “We will prepare to find a replacement but mid-season recruitment can be tough as every team strives to keep their top players. If we find someone, well and good; if not, we will have to make do with what we have.”
Despite the attacking concerns, Vijago is also happy with the goalkeeper Vivian Shiyonzo, who has kept four clean sheets in five matches.
“It feels good we are on
top. Last season, I had only four
clean sheets for the entire season.
This time round, I have set the bar
higher,” Shiyonzo, who was
initially a striker before transitioning
to goal-keeping said.
She credits her progress
to her coach and goalkeeper
trainer Mark Cloud.
