AFC Leopards head coach Tomas Trucha has appealed to the fans to spare goalkeeper Levis Opiyo an unnecessary flak.
Opiyo has come under heavy censure following a juvenile howler he committed during their Mashemeji derby thriller against arch-rivals Gor Mahia at Nyayo stadium on Sunday.
Enraged Leopards fans now want Trucha to bench Opiyo for the remainder of the season and during their subsequent Mashemeji derby encounters, claiming he is a sell-out.
Opiyo was severely punished after K'Ogalo's enterprising midfielder Austin Odhiambo dispossessed him and poked the ball into the back of the net as he fumbled with a clearance in the six-yard area.
However, while admitting that Opiyo made a costly blunder, Trucha said it was unfair to attribute Leopards' ultimate defeat to the custodian's erratic judgment.
Trucha reckons his charges squandered an opportunity to rally back from behind and leverage their superior number after Gor Mahia custodian Kevin Omondi was sent off for an early shower following a careless tackle on striker Victor Omune who was charging for a goal.
“I'm sure he didn't do it intentionally. He is already aware of how the fans generally feel about the whole incident. It wasn't a good decision but it would be unfair to blame him for our loss," Trucha stated
"We could have easily turned the tables on our opponents and registered a positive outcome if we had capitalized on the numerous chances we created in the match," the Czech tactician said.
The gaffer appealed to their ardent fans to throng the stands and rally behind the players as they frantically grope for a decent finish on the top-flight stage.
"I want to apologize to the fans who turned out in large numbers to support us in the Mashemeji derby. We owed them a lot more in the match and should have done better," Trucha remarked.
Leopards' next tie is against Compel FC in the quarterfinals of the FKF Cup this weekend.
