- Bernard Mwalala ditches Shabana for Bandari as the experienced coach completes a mid-season move in the 25/26 SportPesa League season.
- Mwalala exits Shabana with the club well-placed in the SportPesa League title conversation.
- He now returns to a his old club in desperate need of stability.
Shabana FC have been dealt a notable technical setback after assistant coach Bernard Mwalala officially parted ways with the Kisii-based side to take up a new challenge at Bandari FC.
The move brings to an end Mwalala’s short but impactful stint at Shabana and marks a return to familiar territory for a coach who previously enjoyed his most successful spell on the Kenyan touchline with the Dockers.
Mwalala exits Shabana with the club well-placed in the SportPesa League title conversation. After 14 matches, the Glamour Boys sit fourth on the table with 23 points, having registered six wins, five draws and just three defeats.
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They are only a single point behind leaders AFC Leopards, a reflection of the steady progress the team has made this season under the technical bench led by head coach Peter Okidi.
Coach Bernard Mwalala has been part of Shabana’s revival story. In his first season as an assistant coach alongside Okidi, the duo oversaw one of the club’s best league campaigns since their return to the top flight.
Shabana finished fifth at the end of last season with 51 points from 34 matches, recording 12 wins, 11 draws and nine losses. They scored 41 goals and conceded only 28, numbers that underlined the defensive organisation and tactical discipline instilled by the technical team.
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Bernard Mwalala ditches Shabana for Bandari
However, Bandari FC came calling, and for Mwalala, it was an opportunity difficult to ignore. His previous tenure with the Dockers remains one of the most memorable in the club’s history.
During that period, he guided Bandari to the SportPesa Shield title and led them to the CAF Confederation Cup preliminary rounds, where they eliminated Sudanese and Tunisian opposition before narrowly missing out on a place in the group stage.
Domestically, he mounted two serious league title challenges, finishing runners-up on both occasions behind record champions Gor Mahia.
Mwalala now returns to a club in desperate need of stability. He becomes the third coach to take charge of Bandari this season following the departure of head coach Mohammed Borji, whose two-month tenure failed to spark a turnaround in results.
Borji, a former Moroccan international, had replaced Ken Odhiambo, who was also dismissed after a poor run. In the interim, goalkeeper trainer Razak Siwa held the reins before the club settled on Mwalala as the man to steady the ship.
Currently sitting 12th on the SportPesa League table with 17 points from 14 matches, Bandari are far from safe and flirting with danger.
Mwalala’s immediate task will be to restore confidence, improve consistency and pull the Dockers away from the relegation conversation.
His first test comes in a demanding home fixture against Kakamega Homeboyz on 10th January 2025 at the Mbaraki Sports Complex, a match that could set the tone for his second chapter at the coastal club.
For Shabana, the challenge will be to maintain their upward trajectory without one of the key figures behind their recent resurgence. For Bandari, the hope is that a familiar hand can once again guide them back to calmer waters.