- Sofapaka coach Ezekiel Akwana expressed his frustration after making an early substitution, pulling off forward Joseph Kuloba.
- The decision came during their 0-2 home defeat to Gor Mahia on Saturday, September 27, at Dandora Stadium.
- Beyond his disappointment with Kuloba, Akwana also admitted that his midfield was thoroughly outplayed.
Sofapaka coach Ezekiel Akwana has explained the reasoning behind his early substitution of Joseph Kuloba, a decision born of frustration as his side fell 0-2 at home to Gor Mahia on Saturday, September 27, at the Dandora Stadium.
In this second matchweek of the Sportpesa League 2025/26, Sofapaka were seeking their first victory of the season after a 1-1 draw with AFC Leopards in their opener.
Instead, they handed Gor Mahia their inaugural win, with Ghanaian striker Ebenezer Adukwaw netting a brace.
Sofapaka coach Akwana explains his first-half substitute
Sofapaka started the match brightly, but as the half-hour mark approached, they began to cede ground, allowing Gor Mahia to dominate their defensive third.
This prompted Akwana into an early change, replacing forward Joseph Kuloba with Ronald Machimba.
The coach later clarified that Kuloba’s performance fell short of expectations, citing a lack of composure and poor ball retention.
“I had to make that change in the first half because Kuloba wasn’t giving us what we needed up front,” Akwana explained to Azam Sports TV.
“He looked sluggish, failed to control the ball, and wasn’t making the necessary runs into space. The ball would reach him, but he couldn’t keep it at his feet. He just wasn’t the player we usually rely on, so I had to make the call.”
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Frustration with overall team Performance
Beyond his frustration with Kuloba, Akwana – who guided the team to a seventh-place finish last season, also stated that his midfield was completely outmaneuvered.
“We haven’t played well today,” he admitted.
“The midfield wasn’t functioning as we expected in the first half, and the defense was also poor; they were horrendous.
Nothing changed after the break, but simply put, we failed to play to our full potential. We’ve been below par, and it’s something we will have to address in training.”
Sofapaka coach Akwana eyes on redemption against Kakamega Homeboyz
He added that he doesn’t fault any individual for the goals conceded, describing them as “clean” and even praising his goalkeeper despite letting in two.
“I can’t blame any of my players for the goals we conceded today because my defense played adequately and my goalkeeper also stood his ground.
The first goal was a clean finish, and the second was a snap shot from their half where the custodian was slightly off his line.”
“We are going to work on our finishing because the chances are being created, but our strikers are unable to convert them. We will focus on that to ensure we secure a victory this coming Friday.”
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Looking ahead, Batoto Ba Mungu will face Kakamega Homeboyz in their third fixture of the season on Friday, October 3, at the Dandora Stadium.