Bandari’s Bernard Mwalala was yesterday named the May/June Fidelity Insurance coach of the month award winner.
Mwalala guided the coastal-based side to bagging five wins and four draws in nine matches played.
Bandari launched the month with a 1-0 win over Ulinzi Stars before drawing 0-0 against Posta rangers.
The Dockers then managed a 2-0 win over Vihiga United followed by a 3-1 victory at home to Chemilil Sugar. They then hit favourites Tusker 3-1 and squeezed a 3-0 win over Zoo FC.
They followed up their brilliant campaign with 0-0 draws against Mathare United and Sofapaka before wrapping up the season with a 2-2 stalemate against his former employers, Nzoia Sugar.
“I am so grateful for winning the award twice. I want to thank my technical bench colleagues and players. That month was very tough because we played nine games back-to-back,” said Mwalala after receiving the award at the team’s training backyard, Mbaraki Sports Club.
Bandari have had a busy season after the league, heading to their first Kagame Cecafa Cup in Kigali where they were eliminated at the first hurdle after drawing all their preliminary matches.
“It was a good experience in Cecafa, being our first. It gave me an opportunity to know where to improve, my attacking department. We have a busy season ahead of us with our first CAF Confederation match (at home against Sudan’s Al Alhy Shandy on August 9) coming just before the league kick off,” added Mwalala.
Fidelity Insurance Mombasa branch manager Nhaaman Shariff said: “Returning here is a signal that the team is doing well. You did well in Cecafa and finishing second in the league is a big achievement, we wish you all the best in the 2019/20 season.”
To win the award, Mwalala got 19 points from a vote conducted by the Sports Journalists Association of Kenya (SJAK) Football Commission beating Tusker’s Robert Matano and the then Sony Sugar coach, Patrick Odhiambo, who had 18 points each.
Mwalala also led Bandari to the Shield trophy.
He becomes the fifth recipient of the award in the 2018/19 season after Paul Ogai (Western stima), Francis Kimanzi (Mathare United) and John Baraza (Sofapaka).
