- AFC Leopards coach Fred Ambani has revealed why he decided to bench his first-choice striker, Samuel Ssenyonjo, during their intense and thrilling victory over Shabana FC.
- Ssenyonjo came off the bench and scored two goals as they thrashed Shabana 5-1 at Nyayo National Stadium on Sunday, March 1.
- Ambani admitted he opted to sideline Ssenyonjo for that match to ease the mounting pressure on the forward.
AFC Leopards coach Fred Ambani has opened up on why he decided to bench his first-choice striker, Ugandan international Samuel Ssenyonjo, during the thrilling victory against Shabana FC at the Nyayo National Stadium.
Ambani was speaking on Sunday, March 1, after they managed to cruise past Shabana with a resounding 5-1 home win.
This victory keeps their charge for the SportPesa League title alive, as they trail arch-rivals Gor Mahia, who sit six points clear at the summit.
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The former Uganda U20 international came off the bench over the weekend and delivered a dazzling performance, netting two goals to inspire Ingwe to that emphatic win.
He found the back of the net for the team’s third goal after capitalizing on a costly error from Shabana goalkeeper Stephen Ochieng’, who fumbled a loose ball.
His second strike came from a pinpoint cross by Sichenje Ronald, where he unleashed a clinical finish to hand the team a comfortable lead.
AFC Leopards coach Fred Ambani on why he benched Ssenyonjo in emphatic win over Shabana
Ambani confessed that he opted to bench Ssenyonjo for that match to relieve the mounting pressure on the foreigner, especially after he went the previous two matches without scoring.
The gaffer mentioned they had agreed beforehand that he would come off the bench, a strategy that paid off handsomely.
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When you look at the last two matches he played, I wanted at least to remove the pressure from him. Because he is a foreigner, and whenever he is not scoring, he feels the pressure weighing down on him.
I even talked to him and told him his overall game was good, but since the goals were not coming, he would be starting from the bench. It worked, and I’m happy for him,” Ambani explained to Azam TV.
Meanwhile, Ssenyonjo also reacted to his performance and coming off the bench, revealing it was all part of the coach’s masterplan to give him a chance to prove himself while also giving other players an opportunity.
Being benched is not a punishment to me. You know, sometimes when things are not going your way, the coach decided to rest me. He talked to me and told me to relax as they try out other teammates and see how it works.
I just took that move as a positive thing. I embraced it, and decided, let’s see how it goes. The guy who took my place performed well, and what mattered most were the three points.”
The 24-year-old has now scored six goals this season, making him the top scorer for AFC Leopards. This tally includes his memorable hat-trick when they demolished Tusker FC 4-0, while he also scored his debut goal for AFC Leopards back in October when they were held 2-2 by Posta Rangers.
Ssenyonjo had promised to net 30 goals this season after signing a two-year contract from Ugandan Premier League side Express FC.
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This followed a stellar campaign that saw him finish fourth on the top scorer’s chart with 12 goals.
The 30-goal target might be a bit of a stretch this season, with only 11 more games remaining in the SportPesa League.
However, he could very well be the man to lead Ingwe back to their glory days as they look to end a 28-year jinx of not winning the top-flight title.