After imperceptibly flirting with relegation the once mighty glamour club and former multiple league champions AFC Leopards are now mathematically out of danger. And their coach Robert Matano – who has been there done that – is wondering aloud what this danger was all about.
Ingwe, who beat Nakumatt 1-0 on Sunday last week courtesy of a first half goal by Andrew Tololwa, collected three crucial points that saw them rise to safety on 39 points and at position 12. With two rounds of matches to play none of the two basement sides can catch up with Ingwe.
While admitting that it was uncomfortable to be part of seven teams that were tussling to avoid filling up the two drop spots Matano said that he was never in doubt that AFC Leopards would never have dropped to the lower division – not under his watch.
“I knew that there was no way we would go down. We have good players. They weren’t going to let that happen. I wasn’t going to let that happen. After we won the GOtv Shield I told the players that they have won the toughest match of the season. All the other matches would be routine, and I asked them to make sure they win them the same, same way.
“We started of losing to Nzoia (Sugar), but came up against Nakumatt and thumped them, and now I am sure that we shall get no less than four points in the our next two games,” Matano told kpl.co.ke on Wednesday.
“If you look at our game against Nakumatt, the boys were very active and displayed enterprise throughout the game. We created so many chances in both halves of the game – which is good – but the problem we have is failing to utilize our chances. Strikers just cannot make that decisive play and that has been going on for a while. But we will be doing something about that in the coming season. You have not seen AFC yet, I tell you.”
Ingwe will face Chemelil Sugar on November 12 at Moi International Sports Centre before wrapping up their 2017 season against relegated Muhoroni Youth on November 18 at Awendo Green Stadium.
