•Odhiambo, who led Homeboyz to their first-ever local silverware last season, said burnout and the departure of key players were to blame for their frailties.
•The Kakamega-based side had sought to retain the Cup title and finish in the top four in the league.
Image: HANDOUT
Kakamega Homeboyz head coach Patrick Odhiambo has vowed to fight for the Kenyan Premier League title and domestic Cup next season after an unsuccessful 2023/2024 campaign.
Homeboyz relinquished the Football Kenya Federation Cup title after falling 1-0 to KCB in the quarterfinals on April 26 and are ninth in the league with 44 points, 23 adrift of champions Gor Mahia.
Odhiambo, who led Homeboyz to their first-ever local silverware last season, said burnout and the departure of key players were to blame for their frailties.
The Kakamega-based side had sought to retain the Cup title and finish in the top four in the league.
“We finished eighth last season with 49 points after putting all our efforts into winning the FKF Cup. This time we crashed out in the quarters and are currently ninth with 44 points with three games to go, leaving us with an outside chance of making the top four,” said Odhiambo.
“My first-choice centrebacks, Robinson Kamura and Collins Odhiambo, left for Tanzania’s Dodoma Jiji FC and Tusker respectively forcing the pair of Eric Ambunya and Brian Wekesa to take charge.
“We lost Kenyan international goalkeeper Farouk Shikhalo to KCB in mid-season and Ugandan shot-stopper James Sentuba had to dive into the deep end immediately,” added Odhiambo.
He attributed the lack of experience to their dismal display on Confederations Cup debut. They fell 4-1 to Libyan outfit Al Hilal Benghazi on August 30, 2023, after managing a barren draw in Nairobi.
“Only striker Kevin Amwayi, Shikhalo and Kamura had continental football experience. The rest were rookies on the big stage,” added Odhiambo.
Despite the thrashing, Odhiambo claimed the Libyans used dirty tactics during their away trip.
“We were taken in circles in Libya. We were taken through the longest and most chaotic route from the airport to the team hotel. Floodlights were switched off in the middle of training and forced to have breakfast in an enclosed dining area on match day. I stood firm and refused only for the hotel management to call military officers to intimidate us. How do you win after such psychological torture?" posed Odhiambo
The former Gor Mahia assistant coach claimed Mahgreb teams always play dirty and the only way to counter them is by winning home games by big margins. Getting a point in North Africa is always a tall order.
Locally, the fixtures were piling and were at one point faced with three matches in seven days. This ran Odhiambo’s 24 players rugged.
Their recovery came after the international break in October 2023, where they mounted a six-game unbeaten streak — with five wins and one draw — scoring 12 goals while conceding one.
Last season’s Cup hero Amwayi suffered a knee injury this season, restricting him to just one goal and five assists while Junior Stars’ keeper, Ibrahim Wanzala, was sidelined with an ankle injury.
Wanzala helped Kenya to a second-place finish in the Cecafa U-18 tournament in December. “Generally, we haven’t done well due to different factors, but we promise our fans at least one title next season,” said Amwayi
Despite the dismal show, Odhiambo congratulated his players, led by captain Moses Mudavadi and six-goal hero Moses Shuma, for their resilience during a tough season.
He praised new signings Shafiq Batambuze, Salim Odeka, Simon Masaka and youngsters Oliver Majak, Glenn Masaka and Nobert Onyango — signed straight from high school — for giving a good account of themselves.
Odhiambo is targeting a strong finish in the remaining matches and plans to beef up the squad in readiness for next year.
He congratulated Gor Mahia for winning the league but promised them a mother of all battles next season. The teams drew (0-0 and 1-1) in their two KPL matches this season.