Harambee Stars and Tusker FC goalkeeper Brian Bwire has set a lofty target to crack the Golden Glove gong in the upcoming Kenyan Premier League season.
Speaking from Arusha, where the Brewers wrapped up their week-long preseason training camp on Sunday, Bwire reiterated their desire to reclaim the topflight title.
"I'll be aiming for the Golden Glove this season. I believe achieving such a feat will give my career a huge boost and could be instrumental in the team's successful title charge," Bwire said.
"Last season, it felt great being in contention for both the KPL and FKF Cup titles but unfortunately things didn't go the way we had planned. We hope to perform better in the upcoming season."
Bwire said they will be training their sights on a grand return to the continental space after failing to punch a ticket in the preceding season.
"Our target is to clinch the title and book a berth to the continental stage. Everyone is aware of the tough competition we shall be facing. We must, therefore, work extremely hard to achieve our goal and we have all agreed as a team to put our best foot forward to reclaim the silverware we surrendered last season," he noted.
He lavished praise on their ardent fans for their relentless support and pledged to reward them with the title.
He added: "We appreciate the passion our fans displayed throughout the preceding season and we felt their pain when we lost the title and failed to clinch the FKF Cup. We promise to make them happy this time around."
Bwire, who recently landed a new role at the Ruaraka-based club as an assistant captain alongside center-back Michael Kibwage, said they had gleaned some invaluable lessons from their trip to the neighbouring nation.
"It was important for the team because we had enough time to bond and get to interact, especially with the new players."
On his part, Kibwage said the Arusha sojourn afforded them a perfect opportunity to smoothen their rough edges ahead of the new season.
"It was a good experience because we have some players who only joined us recently and being in camp gave us a chance to gel before the start of the season," Kibwage said.
"We had an opportunity to gauge ourselves against clubs that play in a different league. At least we now know where our weaknesses are and we shall be going back to the drawing board to make the necessary amendments to the squad."
The Brewers left Arusha for Nairobi on Sunday after flexing muscles with Tanzanian sides in two build-up encounters, where they posted mixed results.
Their campaign began on a horrid note with a 1-0 defeat to Coastal Union at the Ushirika Stadium in Moshi following Gerald Gwalala's 21st-minute effort. They then squeezed out a one-all draw against Mbuni FC at Sheikh Abeid Karume Stadium on Saturday in Arusha.
