Kenya Police head coach Sammy 'Pamzo' Omollo has said he is not in a state of despair after failing to capture the signature of Tusker FC's first-choice custodian, Patrick Matasi.
The veteran goalkeeper was caught up in a long-running transfer tussle involving the two Kenyan Premier League behemoths. Matasi had expressed interest in joining the law enforcers but his employers remained adamant and refused to release him.
In an exclusive interview on Thursday, Omollo said the Matasi issue was now water under the bridge, adding that he has confidence in his first-choice goalkeeper Job Ochieng who is equally a force to reckon with.
"Even if we succeeded in bringing Matasi, he would still have to work hard to bench Job Ochieng who has been at a very impressive level, ” Omollo said.
"I wasn't looking to sign Matasi because of his big name. I just wanted to make sure we had a reliable department," he added.
Omollo said all departments of the club are doing well including the goalkeeping unit. "I thought our goaltending department wasn't very deep but I've found that we have safe hands that we can count on."
While admitting that competition in the star-studded squad was likely to pose a selection headache, Omollo said it might bring out the best players in the long run.
"Without a doubt, we have a very competitive team right now. When all the players are good there is always cut-throat competition among the players because everyone is fighting for a place in the team,” Omollo said.
"At the end of the day, the results keep coming because the players have the pressure to prove themselves on the field. As a coach, I also feel pressure because the management would expect good results once they give the best players.”
The gaffer — a former Kenyan international — said he is not intimidated by the big names the club acquired and urged the players to work hard to get quality playing time on merit.
"I am not bothered by names. What I look for in a player is hard work, performance in training, discipline, and dedication. That's what gets a player into my match day line-up."
He recommended the team do well in the league after showing good results during the preparation for the new season.
"We have posted good results during the preparation of the new season and, we hope, the players will be able to increase the level of quality in the league matches."
Omollo attributed their success to teamwork and focus. “Our success so far has been the joint efforts of the management, the technical bench, and the players. They have all contributed to the development of our form," he said.
This being their second season in the top-flight competition, coach Omollo's charges will be looking forward to cracking a top-five finish after wrapping up in the middle of the table in their maiden appearance.
