Mara Sugar head coach Edward Manoah has defended the condition of Awendo Stadium following criticism that emerged after his team’s 2–0 victory over AFC Leopards in last weekend’s SportPesa League match.
The victory, inspired by super substitute Dennis Cheruiyot who came off the bench to score twice, marked Mara Sugar’s first home win of the season and sparked debate about the state of the pitch.
Awendo Stadium, which has served as the traditional home ground for now defunct Sony Sugar for many years, has recently received attention over concerns about its surface.
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Mara Sugar defend Awendo Stadium
However, Coach Manoah believes the pitch is being unfairly judged and insists it remains playable despite its challenges.
“The field itself is not bad. It only has issues when it rains because water tends to log in some areas. There is no mud and it is still a good surface. This is the same ground that hosted Sony Sugar for a long time.
Maybe there was just a small section affected because there was an event held a day before we played AFC Leopards and it interfered with part of the pitch,” Manoah explained.
His comments come in response to AFC Leopards head coach Fred Ambani, who expressed frustration after the match, suggesting the condition of the playing surface affected his team’s performance and contributed to the end of their unbeaten run.
“As I said before, even before the match began, the field is not up to standard. You cannot really execute your game plan on that surface. Even connecting two or three passes becomes difficult,” Ambani said after the loss.
Mara Sugar, however, appeared comfortable on the pitch, especially in the second half when Cheruiyot’s brace sealed the win.
The team’s confidence on the surface contrasted sharply with Leopards’ struggles, further fueling the debate over whether the pitch truly posed a challenge or whether Mara Sugar simply adapted better.
Despite the divided opinions, Awendo Stadium remains one of the historic grounds in Kenyan football, known for hosting high-profile league matches over the years.
With the SportPesa League continuing at full pace, it remains to be seen whether calls for improvements will lead to changes or whether teams will simply need to adjust to the conditions.