Ulinzi Stars head coach Danstun Nyaudo believes they have enough in the tank to finish the season on a high despite daunting final fixtures against defending champions Gor Mahia and a spirited Shabana outfit.
The soldiers currently sit 11th on the log with 37 points, and will first lock horns with Gor Mahia before wrapping up their campaign with a tricky away tie at Gusii Stadium against Shabana.
Despite having to face strong opponents in their final League fixtures, Nyaudo is bullish about his charges' chances. The tactician noted their encounter against title-chasing K'Ogalo, whom he believes will be under more pressure in the encounter.
“We are playing teams under more pressure than us,” Nyaudo said. Ulinzi are on a three-match winless run in the League, with their last victory coming on April 27, where they secured a 4-0 win over FC Talanta. Since then, however, they have gone on to secure back-to-back 1-1 draws against Mara Sugar and Posta Rangers.
Their last League outing was a bitter 1-0 loss to Mathare United, where Musa Masika's 74th-minute strike was enough to hand the Slum Boys all three points.
Nyaudo believes his charges have to put up more fighting spirit than they did against Mathare. "The matches we are remaining with, we will give better results than what we did against Mathare," he added.
Reflecting on the loss, the tactician noted that the team needed to tweak its playing style come next season.
"I am very disappointed with the results. I hope in the coming season my players will grow beyond this because the way we played is not how we plan to play," he noted.
Nyaudo noted that the boys did not execute what they had practised in training.
"The whole team played badly, and I don't know why. What we had planned to play and how is not what we exhibited."
With a long season taking its toll, Nyaudo hinted at fatigue within the squad. "It may be fatigue because we had also had several matches, including travelling a lot, and we did not have enough rest," he stated.
Against Gor Mahia, Ulinzi will be hoping for a strong showing from their first leg encounter, where they suffered a 3-0 drubbing through goals from Samuel Kapen, Rooney Onyango and Austine Odhiambo.
Their reverse fixture against Shabana was a pulsating 2-2 draw, with Mathew Tegisi bagging a brace for Ulinzi while Stephod Odhiambo and Peter Glen replying for the Glamour Boys.
