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Victory over Tusker leaves Leopards coach purring with satisfaction


AFC Leopards coach Andre Casa Mbungo believes his players have finally began adapting to his style of play following the team’s hard-fought 2-1 win over Tusker in a SportPesa Premier League match on Saturday at the Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos.

This was the former AS Kigali and Kiyovu Sports coach’s second win on the trot in the competition, coming after a spate of four consecutive defeats which heralded his arrival.

That poor run at some stage confined Leopards to the bottom of the table, a situation that caused an uproar from the club’s fans.

“The players are slowly adapting to my philosophy. When I came here, the fitness levels were wanting and we had several injuries. The confidence was also low. So we have had a lot of things to work on and still have a long way to go,” Mbungo said.

Leopards will next face Sofapaka and Transforc in the league and FKF SportPesa Cup fixtures respectively.

MENTALLY TIRED

At the same time, the Rwandan trainer has defended Isaac Kipyegon who was red during the match saying the player is ‘mentally tired’.

The left-back received two yellow cards and a consequent red in a span of two first-half minutes.

The match referee flashed the second yellow after Kipyegon  appeared to lash out at Tusker forward Andrew Juma with a kung-fu like kick.

“I believe he (Kipyegon) is just tired. He is one of the most hardworking players in the squad and has competed in all the matches since I arrived. We will support him,” said Mbungo.

The defeat meanwhile has left Tusker coach Robert Matano in deep trouble. This is the fourth consecutive league match that brewers are losing in the competition.