Tusker FC manager Charles Okere has expressed gratitude to his players for maintaining a clean sheet against Ulinzi Stars over the weekend, securing a narrow 1-0 victory in a fiercely contested match.
Despite occupying second place in the standings, the Brewers are among the teams that have conceded the most goals this season, with only Posta Rangers allowing more (27 goals).
Tusker has conceded 22 goals but has managed to score 31, largely thanks to star striker Ryan Ogam, who has netted half of those.
On Saturday afternoon, Chrispine Erambo’s decisive goal ensured Tusker achieved their fifth clean sheet of the season.
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Previous clean sheets include 1-0 victories against Sofapaka, Nairobi City Stars, Bandari FC and 2-0 against Mathare United.
Okere, 43, emphasized that securing a clean sheet against one of the most formidable teams in the Premier League was a huge motivational boost for the players.
They have worked tirelessly to shore up their defense after conceding a high number of goals earlier in the season.
“This is a big motivation for us especially against a very tactical side like Ulinzi. They created numerous scoring chances and we were lucky at some point.” Okere told the club’s media.
“We have been working to improve our backline because we have been conceding a lot of goal and I am happy that we managed to pick a clean sheet.”
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The gaffer also highlighted key moments that led to their 11th win of the season, despite a challenging first half against Danstun Nyaudo’s side.
“In the dressing room, I just told them one word; ‘You know what to do’. We had worked through the week and had a plan and we executed it well in the second half. The first half was a bit scrappy and we seemed like we were getting out of our strategy but we came back stronger and scored from a setpiece, something that we had worked on.” He added.
Tactically, Okere explained that he had to bring on Yussuf Mainge and Dennis Wanjala—two players more accustomed to full-backs roles—into offensive positions to neutralize Ulinzi’s strength on the wings.
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“We were coming away from home and needed to show a bit of caution. We know the strength Ulinzi possess on the wing and we needed to neutralize that. It was more of a tactical decision and we are glad it worked.” He affirmed.
Charles Okere will lead Tusker into their 19th match of the season as they aim for their sixth clean sheet against KCB on Sunday, February 2nd, at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos.
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