Mathare United coach John Kamau has attributed his side’s 2–1 defeat to KCB to tactical lapses and poor set-piece defending, insisting that a lack of collective responsibility proved costly for the Slum Boys at the Kasarani Annex on Saturday.
Mathare went into the match hoping to return to winning ways after settling for a 1–1 draw against Posta Rangers in their previous outing.
There was early promise for Kamau’s men when they took the lead through an own goal by KCB defender Victor Odhiambo, a moment that seemed to put them in control of the contest.
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However, the advantage was short-lived as KCB responded decisively, showing the ruthlessness that has defined their season under head coach Robert Matano.
Substitute December Kisakah made an immediate impact after coming on, restoring parity for the Bankers with a well-taken equaliser.
The momentum then shifted firmly in KCB’s favour, and defender Ammaton Samunya went on to score the winner, sealing maximum points for the visitors and leaving Mathare to reflect on another frustrating afternoon.
Mathare United coach John Kamau points to tactical errors
Speaking after the match, Kamau did not shy away from pointing out where things went wrong, particularly in the build-up to the equalising goal.
“When you are attacking and you don’t push forward as a unit, it creates situations like the one we saw from the equaliser,” Kamau explained.
“You could see an opposition player up against three or four of our players, yet he still had the time and space to look up, see the goal, and take a shot. That is a tactical mistake, where no one takes responsibility, and that’s how we conceded a simple goal.”
The Mathare tactician was equally concerned by his side’s continued struggles from set pieces, noting similarities between the KCB defeat and their previous match against Posta Rangers.
“Going into the second half, the second goal came from a corner, the same way we conceded against Posta Rangers,” he said.
“We tried to work on this in training, and it seems we are working, but perhaps we need to be smarter in our approach, especially in terms of individual technical responsibility. All in all, we must go back and be a bit smarter.”
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The loss marked Mathare United’s ninth defeat of the SportPesa League season, leaving them 12th on the standings with 22 points from 19 matches, having recorded six wins and four draws so far.
While the result was another setback, Kamau found positives in his team’s second-half performance and believes it can serve as a foundation going forward.
“Of course, when you lose a match, confidence drops,” he admitted. “But if you look at the second half, we were on the front foot. The important thing now is to build from there. There was a big difference between the first and second halves, especially after bringing on the likes of Eli. We played well and created chances, which is why I’m saying we need to work smarter.”
As the season progresses, Mathare United will be hoping that improved tactical discipline and sharper concentration, especially on set pieces, can help them turn competitive performances into positive results.