•Our main undoing has been scoring goals. Defence and midfield departments are okay
•In football, you are always under pressure but here the pressure is too much. We need to get back to our winning ways
Image: / ANGWENYI GICHANA
Western Stima coach Paul Ogai insists he has not lost the dressing room despite going four matches without a win.
On Wednesday, John Ochieng and Lucas Weitere scored as Chemelil Sugar beat the power men 2-0 at Moi Stadium, Kisumu to leave Ogai seeking answers after one of their poorest runs in his reign.
Ogai said: “If you watched the game, you would have realised that we conceded from primary school mistakes. Our strikers were also blunt in front of goal. How do you explain a player missing a simple tap in? This was a very bad show at home,” complained Ogai.
Since the beginning of the season, Ogai’s strikers, Wesley Kemboi and Fredrick Nyarombo have one goal each while Ken Odhiambo has three. The team’s main scorers are midfielders. He, however, admitted he is under pressure to arrest the dwindling situation.
“In football, you are always under pressure but here the pressure is too much. We need to get back to our winning ways. We have to go an extra mile because this trend is worrying,” he added.
The youthful Ogai said he is eyeing two strikers in the current transfer window.
“Our main undoing has been scoring goals. Defence and midfield departments are okay,” he added.
However, sources close to the club said some senior players and a member of the technical bench could be sabotaging Ogai. He, however, denied the claims.
Stima are eighth on the log with 23 points from 17 matches. At the same time, four foreigners are undergoing trials at Chemelil Sugar, according to coach Francis Baraza.
Two Cameroonians, a Ugandan and a Nigerian began their trials on Monday.
“I want to gauge them and see if they can fit into my system. We are aiming at signing two players because we don’t want to destabilise the team since most of my players are youths aged between 17 and 23,” added the former international.
He termed the win over Stima as sweet revenge, having lost 1-0 in the corresponding fixture at home in the first round.
Meanwhile, Nairobi Stima have shown clear intent of qualifying to the SportPesa Premier League after bolstering the squad by bringing in six players. The club has also offloaded three players according to coach George Owoko.
Stima raided Kisumu All-Stars for National Super League top scorer Dennis Ochieng and Austin Ochieng. Others are Kariobangi Sharks' Hilary Otieno and Peter Oudo alongside goalkeeper Michael Onyango from Kenya Police and attacking midfielder Douglas Mokaya.
“Oalo, Ochieng and Otieno are expected to lead our hunt for goals. It’s not that we have not been scoring but we need bench power and players who can change the game,” added Owoko.
“The players we have experienced and thus capable of unlocking stubborn defences. Some teams play for barren draws and you need creative players to break them down.”
Owoko said those released are Peter Okoth, Kelvin Migel and Junior Haron. Kisumu All Stars team manager Alfred Flo termed their departure as a big blow.
“It will affect our push for promotion but we have started the process of replacing them. Kisumu has talented players and we are shopping for replacements at the moment,” added Flo.
The month-long mid-season transfer window opened on Monday and will close on April 8.