Mathare United head coach John Kamau is confident that his players will harness the power of the fanbase at the Gusii Stadium, using it as their “12th man” to secure three points when they face Shabana FC on Sunday afternoon.
The highly anticipated match is set to kick off at 2 PM, with hosts Shabana looking to return to winning ways after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Posta Rangers last weekend at the Kenyatta Stadium.
Peter Okidi, Shabana’s head coach, acknowledged that the mistake made in their previous encounter with their former coach Sammy ‘Pamzo’ Omollo was a minor lapse. He assured that the issue has been addressed, with the players fully aware of it.
“I want to thank the players; their morale is high now. As the technical bench, we recognized the collective error we made against Posta Rangers. We were leading, and the final score should have been 1-0.
However, the small lapse we had allowed the opponent to come back and win. It’s a mistake we’ve rectified, and we’ve discussed it with the players. The technical bench has also made adjustments, and we’re ready for the next match,” Okidi said in an interview with the club’s media.
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On the other hand, Mathare United has been struggling in recent matches, with only one victory in their last 10 encounters.
These results have left them just two spots above the relegation zone in the 18-team Premier League, with 21 points from 19 matches—five wins, six draws, and eight losses.
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They will enter this match off the back of a 2-1 defeat to Gor Mahia last weekend at Dandora Stadium.
Despte the recent poor performances, John Kamau remains optimistic about his team’s potential.
He emphasized that while he is still in the process of building a strong squad, he is pleased with the quality of players the club has signed this season.
“It’s unfortunate that I’m still in the process of building the team, but the most important thing is that I’m really happy with the quality of players I’ve brought on board. When you have such quality, it’s only a matter of time before the results show. We will also be consistent,” Kamau shared with the club’s media before the clash with Shabana.
“It’s all about trusting the process because Mathare will be playing in the Premier League next season.”
Kamau further added that the upcoming match against Shabana will serve as added motivation, particularly with the magnitude of their opponent’s fanbase.
He plans to turn that fan energy into an advantage for his team.
“Playing against a team with such a massive and passionate fanbase is motivating in itself. Shabana has this, and it has worked well for them. Now, we plan to use that 12th-man advantage for ourselves,” Kamau concluded.
The first leg in December saw Mathare United edge out a 1-0 victory, their most recent win, with Brian Ouro scoring in the first half.
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