- Kakamega Homeboyz head coach Patrick Odhiambo points fingers at individual errors after AFC Leopards defeat
- On Saturday, May 16, Homeboyz suffered their third straight league defeat and extended their winless run to six matches after a 2-1 loss to AFC Leopards in Mumias.
- The defeat also handed Ingwe their first win over Homeboyz in three years, having gone four matches without tasting victory in the Ingo Derby.
Kakamega Homeboyz head coach Patrick Odhiambo has pinned all the blame for the team’s current poor SportPesa League form on individual mistakes.
Homeboyz on Saturday stretched their winless run to six straight matches, including three consecutive defeats after handing AFC Leopards their first victory over them in three years, losing 2-1 at the Mumias Sports Complex.
Ingwe had gone four matches without tasting a win against Odhiambo’s side, only to snatch the three crucial points on Saturday thanks to first-half strikes from Emmanuel Lwangu and Samwel Semo, ensuring that Boniface Nyabuto’s SportPesa League debut goal did not interrupt that drought.
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Odhiambo points fingers at individual errors after AFC Leopards defeat
Speaking after the encounter, Odhiambo pointed all his fingers at his players’ poor display, which has led to their current predicament.
“It’s unfortunate that we are losing games so easily lately, and most of the time we have been punished because of individual mistakes. In our last five or six matches, it has all come down to personal errors, and that is not acceptable in football,” a furious Odhiambo stated.
The two AFC Leopards goals came from defensive lapses in man-marking and quick decision-making. The same issues appeared in the loss to Murang’a SEAL, and their defeat at home to Gor Mahia came late through an own goal.
The former Gor Mahia assistant coach has now challenged his players to reflect on themselves, suggesting something could be wrong given how well they perform in training, especially during set-piece drills, compared to matches.
“The players need to get themselves back on track because this is not normal. We have experienced players, but there are too many mistakes in games. Some of the things we work on in training, like set pieces, are not being executed properly during matches. Instead, the players do things differently on the pitch. I don’t know what’s going on, but there must be something wrong,” he added.
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However, Odhiambo was full of praise for his substitutions and how the young players managed to shift the game especially in the second half, which saw Boniface Nyabuto make his top-flight debut and announce himself with a spectacular goal.
“I have been impressed by young players like Zidane, who really played well today. It was his first time playing as a centre-back, and he managed to press high up the pitch while also defending well. Boniface also came on late for his debut. He had never played a top-flight match before, yet he scored, so I’m happy for him,” he reiterated.
Kakamega Homeboyz will now look to put their poor run on hold in their two remaining fixtures: an away clash against relegation-threatened Kariobangi Sharks, followed by a meeting with the outgoing SportPesa League champions, Kenya Police with a top-three finish is still within reach.