A win over Kakamega Homeboyz at Bukhungu Stadium this afternoon is likely to salvage Vihiga United from the jaws of relegation, head coach Mike Mururi has said.
Vihiga are currently rooted in a precarious second-last spot with 23 points, a spot above bottom-placed Western Stima, but Mururi holds on to the conviction his charges possess the capacity to pull off a major surprise as they frantically fight tooth and nail to fend off demotion.
They head into today's encounter high on confidence after derailing KCB's title hopes at Mumias Complex last Saturday where they pulled off a 2-1 upset. And with that in mind, Mururi is nudging his squad to replicate and possibly emulate the performance.
"I have already made it crystal clear to my players that we must rise to the occasion against Kakamega Homeboyz at Bukhungu on Wednesday. We have everything to play for while they have absolutely nothing to lose in this match," said Mururi in a telephone interview with the Star on Tuesday afternoon.
Mururi reiterated that there was absolutely nothing to hold off the side from putting up a good fight in the Western derby, given the financial challenges that had initially punctured their morale have fizzled out.
"Ever since I joined the club in May, neither the coaches nor the players have gone without a salary. As we speak, all the players have been paid their full salaries for June and July and certainly, any issues revolving around salaries wouldn't be an excuse not to perform at all," he said.
Mururi's statement comes as a surprise given he was brought on board after his predecessor Sammy Okoth dumped the side in a huff after citing financial constraints that made it difficult for the team to register meaningful results.
On January 11, Yakhama and head coach Sammy Okoth tendered their resignation letters to club management after allegedly toiling for six months without pay.
Then on May 15 Vihiga United appointed Muriri after Okoth failed to report to work after raising concerns about the club's financial constraints which he said made their survival in the top-flight league difficult.
Mururi has, however, pointed out that he was never given the opportunity to sign some big actors in the industry, who have the ability to blend well with his preferred tactical philosophy, a fact that has poked holes in his objectives.
"You see, every coach has his philosophy. The club might be having some good players who, unfortunately, can not fit in well with the philosophy of the existing tactician," he said.
"In such a scenario, the coach is left with no option but to make use of personnel that end up botching the prescribed tactics," said Mururi.
However, Mururi will have to shove aside this particular concern that seems to be his Achilles heel and make use of what is available to him as they square off against a side that has exhibited consistency in their last six encounters. Homeboyz are safe at eighth position with 43 points and a win could fire them to sixth.
Vihiga on the other side stand a chance to dislodge Mathare from 15th if they manage maximum points in the event the Slum Boys suffer a loss at the hands of Ulinzi Stars at Ruaraka.
