- Shabana FC head coach Peter Okidi remains confident his side can still mount a serious challenge for the SportPesa League title.
- His remarks came after Shabana held Gor Mahia to a goalless draw at Gusii Stadium on Sunday.
- Shabana are currently fourth on the table with 24 points, level with Kakamega Homeboyz, three points behind Gor Mahia and six adrift of league leaders AFC Leopards.
Shabana FC head coach Peter Okidi remains optimistic that his side still has a realistic chance of mounting a strong challenge in the SportPesa League 25/26 title race and eventually clinching the crown.
Okidi spoke on Sunday after his team held Gor Mahia to a goalless draw at Gusii Stadium.
The result provided at least a point for the glamour boys, who were recovering from a 3-1 defeat at the same venue against Nairobi United.
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“It is a fair result, though we wanted all three points, especially after coming from that 3-1 loss,” Okidi told the press following the thrilling encounter.
Shabana created numerous opportunities and controlled the tempo, but their finishing proved lacking an issue Okidi acknowledged they must address.
“Defensively, we were solid and kept a clean sheet. The midfield distributed the ball well, showed creativity, and our use of long balls allowed us to dominate large portions of the match. We will return to training and focus on our scoring. Last match we scored; today we did not,” he added.
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Defiant Shabana FC head coach Peter Okidi vows to turn Gusii into fortress in title push
The SportPesa League Coach of the Month for November noted that the loss to Nairobi United was their final defeat at Gusii Stadium this season.
The club is eager to make amends with their supporters, having lost four of their eight home matches, with only two wins and two draws.
“We have let our fans down in four home matches, which was never our intention. We resolved that the previous defeat would be our last at home. We aimed to build from this match, and we have delivered with a point. I don’t foresee Shabana losing at home again soon.”
Okidi also affirmed that his squad will battle fiercely in every remaining fixture to collect maximum points, hoping to clinch the title.
We will fight in every fixture to secure maximum points. If we maintain that attitude both at home and away, I believe the title will soon be within our grasp,” he explained.
The draw against the record SportPesa League champions leaves the Kisii-based outfit in the top four.
They currently occupy fourth position with 24 points, level with Kakamega Homeboyz but behind on goal difference. They trail second-placed Gor Mahia by three points and leaders AFC Leopards by six.