AFC Leopards' Victor Otieno vies for the ball from Sofapaka's Edward Omondi during a KPL match at Dandora Stadium on February 19, 2025/ CHARLENE MALWA
The draw left a dent in Ingwe’s title hunt, falling seven points behind leaders Kenya Police. The law enforcers have 41 points followed by Tusker (39), Gor Mahia (35) and KCB (35).
Ambani said: “The match was not as fluid as we would have wanted it to be. This is due to fatigue after our match at Awendo Stadium over the weekend. The team needs to improve in the wings.”
He hopes to get support from the management to boost the squad and raise the quality of their play.
His opposite at Sofapaka, Ezekeil Akwana, was satisfied with the draw, despite missing several clear chances in the second half.
CHARLENE MALWA
Akwana, who previously played for and coached Leopards, believes his young squad outdid themselves by going toe-to-toe with the experienced Leopards side.
He believes Leopards’ goalkeeper Levis Opiyo was key in keeping them at bay after making three point-blank saves to keep it 0-0.
“I told my players to express themselves freely and enjoy the game. But I told them to be cautious of the dangerous Ingwe on the wide spaces. They executed this well and I am pleased with their courage and effort,” said Akwana.
Akwana, who came from a 2-0 win over KCB last weekend, targets a top-eight finish this season.
“We have a relatively young squad led by captain Baron Ochieng’, with an average age of around 23. I want to make it a two-to-three-years project before we get the fruits,” added Akwana.
Batoto Ba Mungu are eighth with 29 points. Akwana will use the next few days to recharge after giving the FKF Cup, which starts this weekend, a wide berth.
Sofapaka centre-back Donato Okelo, who was key in stopping the Ingwe frontline, is happy at the 2009 Premier League winners after joining from Kitara in December 2024.
He said their game plan to keep it tight at the back and try to catch Ingwe on the counter worked well, though unlucky not to collect maximum points.