•“There is every possibility the leagues and competitions committee might decide to congest fixtures, given a lot of time has already passed and they are keen to adjust to the international calendar,″ observed Nyangweso.
•“There is every possibility the leagues and competitions committee might decide to congest fixtures given a lot of time has already passed and they are keen to adjust to the international calendar,″ observed Nyangweso.
Ulinzi Stars head coach Benjamin Nyangweso has urged Football Kenya Federation to give top-flight teams at least two weeks to put their house in order before the league can resume.
“All FKF-PL sides took a break from physical training after President Uhuru Kenyatta imposed a ban on sporting activities and our players are now too rusty to even start thinking of competing,” said Nyangweso.
Nyangweso spoke to the Star hours after FKF announced they had put tentative plans in place to roll out top tier fixtures on May 12.
“No particular team has been training as a unit. Asking us to start competition almost immediately is demanding too much.
“There is every possibility the leagues and competitions committee might decide to congest fixtures given a lot of time has already passed and they are keen to adjust to the international calendar,″ observed Nyangweso.
“You can only imagine the toll such pressure will have on players who've not even been training properly. One would be quick to point out that we had a responsibility to ensure our players remained fit through individual training programs,″ he added.
Nyangweso was emphatic that individual training programs players were subjected to during the long break were not as effective as physical group sessions conducted by coaches.
“But let's be realistic. You don't expect individual training programs to produce the same effect as group training. And in the continued absence of training, the players' form keep plummeting.
“I don't have any injury concerns at this time. You see, these players have not been doing any sort of activities that can cause them injuries. I believe my entire squad is intact, unless there is a case that has not been reported to us officially.”
And despite being currently rooted in the middle of the FKF-PL log, Nyangweso has great conviction the soldiers can still lay claim to the title.
“There is nothing impossible. It all depends on the focus we shall put in our remaining matches.
“We still have several matches at hand. We haven't even completed the first leg yet. I believe we can still charge for the title if our players work hard enough and start collecting maximum points.”
A communique from the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Competitions department indicated the top tier would kick off on May 12 before other leagues follow on May 15.
“Following the Presidential Address earlier today (May 1, 2021) and in consultation with both the FKF Leagues & Competitions Committee chairman and the FKF general secretary, we wish to inform you that plans are underway to have the leagues resume tentatively on Wednesday, 12th May 2021 for the Premier League and 15th May 2021 for the Super League and other leagues,” said the communication.
“We shall communicate the revised fixtures as soon as possible to enable clubs prepare and plan accordingly,” read the statement.
The decision came hot on the hills of President Uhuru Kenyatta's Labour Day speech from State House, Nairobi where he directed the ministries of Health and Sports to provide guidelines for resumption of sporting activities.