AFC Leopards skipper Clifton Miheso wants to repay the Ingwe faithful by ending their trophy drought this year.
In an exclusive interview, Miheso said they can spring a tremendous surprise and tuck away the Kenyan Premier League title for the 14th time.
Leopards are eighth on the KPL standings with 34 points, 16 behind leaders Gor Mahia and are into the last 16 of the FKF Cup.
“It’s the only way to thank our loyal fans, who have faithfully rallied behind us. We are not badly off in the league and we’re in the FKF Cup Round of 16. We stand a good chance to run away with one of the silverware,” Miheso said.
“Everyone in our camp is thirsty for continental football. That’s the stage we are all eager to grace. We have agreed to work hard towards achieving that dream,” he added.
Miheso said the side will fight tooth and nail to make a grand return to international football. They last graced the continental stage after clinching the FKF Cup in 2017.
Whereas catching up with their perennial arch-rivals might seem a tall order, Miheso is convinced they can leverage the remaining matches to boost their title chances.
“That’s not a huge gap. We have more than 10 matches left and anything can happen. It’s too early for any side in the league to start celebrating. The competition is getting stiffer by the day and we are still in contention,” Miheso remarked.
After a lackadaisical show in the initial phases of the season, which led to the dismissal of head coach Tom Juma, Leopards have toiled day and night to turn around their fortunes.
Juma acrimoniously stepped aside to pave the way for Thomas Trucha, who has managed to maintain a near-perfect run on the topflight stage, going for eight consecutive matches without defeat.
“The magic lies in the coach we have. He believes in us and has done a lot to bring back the enthusiasm,” he added.
Miheso hailed his teammates who earned call-ups to the national team, Harambee Stars, for last weekend’s Four-Nation tournament in Malawi.
“I’m happy for Kaycie Odhiambo and Vincent Mahiga for securing slots in the national team. The experience they earn in the process could help push us in our title aspirations,” Miheso stated.
