Kenya Police FC head coach Nicholas Muyoti admits he is struggling with mixed emotions after his side’s 3-0 demolition of AFC Leopards at Nyayo Stadium on Saturday, a result that significantly dents the title aspirations of the club where he remains a legendary figure.
Muyoti, who famously anchored the midfield for the Ingwe side that secured the club’s last league title in 1998, watched from the touchline as his boys dismantled his former team, leaving their title chase in jeopardy.
Reflecting on the result and his deep-rooted connection to the Den, the tactician expressed genuine sympathy for the position his victory has put them in.
“Yes, Leopards is my club during my playing days and I feel bad for them today because they’re following the title chasers and this is a big setback for them. I just hope that they pick up in the derby. But for our side, this is where I work and the general performance of my players was really good tactically. We managed to score goals, defensively we did very well, and I’m happy about the performance,” Muyoti stated.
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The coach suggested that the looming pressure and excitement of the upcoming Mashemeji Derby may have distracted the Leopards players, causing them to lose focus on the immediate task at hand.
Drawing from his own experience as a former captain of the club, he noted that the mental weight of such fixtures is immense.
“I don’t know on their part, but what I can say is that just like when I was a Leopards player, we always look forward to the derby and maybe they overlooked us, but I don’t know what happened. What’s important is that we got the three points. It’s up to them to work and see how they can win the derby,” he added.
Muyoti revealed that his team arrived at the stadium highly motivated by the high stakes of the fixture and the opportunity to make a statement against a league heavyweight.
“Even before the match, our players were psyched up because the opponent we are facing are chasing the title and today we had said that we are going to break the history, and that’s what they did today. Coming back here is special for them and you realize today we had the 12th man, which was the band, which really psyched the boys and I’m so happy how they responded,” he explained.
The defeat leaves AFC Leopards in a precarious position as they attempt to salvage their trophy dreams, with the gap between them and the league leaders Gor Mahia potentially widening to five points at a critical juncture of the season.
For a club that has spent nearly three decades chasing the glory Nicholas Muyoti once helped them achieve in 1998, the irony of their former captain masterminding such a devastating blow is a bitter pill to swallow.