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This is how Ulinzi Stars' obliterated Shabana so severely, fans had to leave the stadium before the game ended and head coach Sam Okoth contemplated resigning.
On Sunday afternoon, Ulinzi Stars mercilessly tore apart Shabana at the Ulinzi Sports Complex in Lang’ata.
It was an obliteration so bad, Tore Bobe’s fans, who have traditionally been known to rally behind their side from the beginning to the end, could be seen walking away from the ground one by one as Antony ‘Modo’ Kimani expressed satisfaction at his charges’ rampant display.
“I like to take it a game at a time, this was a very tough game against a very formidable opponent, the scoreline might be deceiving but Shabana is a very good team, they had a very match only that they were not able to utilise their chances,” Kimani said after the game.
His opposition number Sam Okoth was also so devastated, he announced that he would be resigning after the match after describing the defeat as “the worst” of his career.
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19:00 - 30.10.2023
FOOTBALL ‘He was misquoted’ - Shabana boss claims Sammy Okoth is 'still in charge' amid reports of a new interim coach
Shabana secretary general Elizaphan Kerama has added to the confusion surrounding the club after claiming coach Sammy Okoth is still in charge despite the tactician resigning on Sunday
“It is very unfortunate that it happened, I am not okay with whatever happened and I just feel I should let it go at the moment.
"I should just relax and maybe let somebody else come and do the job because 4-0 is a defeat that I have never ever gone through since I started my career as a coach," said a disappointed Okoth after the match."
“I feel that [resigning] is the right thing to do at the moment because this is a team that has a lot of following and they deserve much better than what happened today.”
Okoth is expected to be in charge against Gor Mahia after the Shabana administration insisted that he was misunderstood and is not going anywhere.
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09:51 - 30.10.2023
FOOTBALL FKF Premier League: The winners and losers from matchweek eight
Gor Mahia and Kenya Police were among the teams that failed to convince while Posta Rangers and KCB showed their class, but who will save Shabana?
However, how were Ulinzi Stars able to register such a win over a Shabana side that have been quite resolute since achieving promotion to the big time?
Well for a start, they could not find a way to handle Ulinzi’s marauding left flank on the afternoon, with left back Shannel Makwata particularly electric.
The first goal executed by Mark Bikokwa was just a classic case of proper set-piece execution.
Both Boniface Muchiri and Makwata positioned themselves to take the freekick from deep, before Makwata proceeds to make a decoy run.
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Muchiri goes as if to whip the ball in, before he suddenly passes the ball onto the path of Makwata which catches Shabana players completely off guard
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Before he whips in a dangerous ball which Mark Bikokwa taps into the back of the net.
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The second goal was a classic case of traditional wingers getting the ball to the byline before whipping in crosses that poachers would get on the end of in the 90s.
Boniface Muchiri receives possession before outpacing Shabana left back Brian Magare (who was also at fault for the first goal after he failed to mark Bikokwa properly) before he whips the ball in to Enosh Ochieng who thunders a header into the back of the net.
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The third goal epitomized the importance of having a striker who can drop deep and play with his back to goal to draw markers towards him before creating space for a willing runner to attack space.
In the screenshot below, Makwata ran with the ball up the right flank before Ochieng dropped deep, drawing a marker with him by making himself a passing option.
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Ochieng’ receives the ball to feet, before he immediately laid it off onto the path of Makwata for a quick one-two move.
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Makwatta then bombs up the pitch before attempting what looks like a cross although it ends up being a shot on target.
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Meanwhile, Ochieng’ moves into the channel before he capitalises on the rebound after keeper Erick Ongiri parried the ball straight onto the path of Ochieng’, who then buried the ball home.
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The result gave Ulinzi Stars coach Anthony Kimani newly-found hope of catching up to Posta Rangers in the hunt for the FKFPL title,
“Just like all the 18 teams in the league, I am sure every team wants to win the title and Ulinzi are not an exception, we have a very good team, a blend of young and experienced players, who have very high qualities and our job is to make them believe that they are more than capable of delivering it (title),” said Kimani.
Shabana will need to bounce back against Gor Mahia, who are sure to have noticed the fact that Ulinzi used set-pieces and crosses to destroy them.
They will be wary of the fact that Patrick Sibomana is a dangerous crosser of the ball from deep and from the byline, as well as the fact the set-piece execution of Austin Odhiambo has been integral to K’Ogalo earning points under Johnathan McKinstry.
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