After getting their bearings in their most recent game against Kenya Police, AFC Leopards interim coach Fred Ambani thinks they have the energy to contend for the championship this season.
Ingwe returned to winning ways in Ambani’s first game as interim coach after the club parted ways with Czech Tomas Trucha following a string of unimpressive results.
They put up an inspiring performance to defeat Kenya Police FC 1-0 at the Dandora Stadium on Sunday, ending a disappointing five-game losing streak that threatened to push them to the red zone.
The victory came on the back of a slew of heartbreaking defeats, the most recent being a shock 1-0 loss to Shabana FC, which ended Trucha’s time as head coach.
In an exclusive interview on Tuesday, Ambani said the win was a turning point for the team and emphasised the significance of regaining the players’ confidence.
“The players know they must win now because they have their confidence back and the problems are behind them,” he said.
He believes scoring the most points against the cops gave the camp a much-needed boost. “In addition to raising spirits, the win moved us up to eighth place in the league standings, reigniting our hopes in the quest for a title,” he said.
Reflecting on his struggles, Ambani admitted it was hard to change the team’s attitude following a run of disappointing outcomes.
“It was hard to convince them that we would win because we had lost five games in a row,” Ambani said.
The gaffer, who donned Leopards’ colours during his heydays as a player, said restoring the team’s faith is his top priority, especially after a run of disappointing results damaged the players’ confidence.
“I had to psychologically get them to believe. It was not going to be easy because we were up against a Kenya Police team with strong players who were lacking confidence and seeking a result,” he explained.
The coach praised his team for sticking to the script on Sunday and encouraged them to build on their momentum as they pursue the title this season.
He revealed they got together as a coaching team and re-planned their strategy, which resulted in the intended result.
“We have been working on setpieces to create chances because it gets really hard to score from open play when a team is struggling,” Ambani stated.
“We had a lot of follow-ups from set-pieces and that is what gave them the goal because we can get the back of the net from set-pieces if we can not find it from open play.”
