Title-hungry Sofapaka beat war drums

Kenyan Premier League giants Sofapaka head coach Sam Ssimbwa has sounded the war drums ahead of the 2018 league campaign which kicks off on Saturday.

The Ugandan trainer made this assertion while reacting to a rallying call made by the club owner Elly Kalekwa at their Eastleigh High School training base in Nairobi on Thursday.

While addressing the team, which included 12 new players at a function also attended by Betika’s marketing manager Patricia Wachira, the football-mad Kalekwa told Ssimbwa to his face he’d have no excuses to advance in the event he failed to dethrone reigning Gor Mahia this season.

To which Ssimbwa, formerly coach at Uganda’s KCCA and Rwanda’s Atraco, responded: “It’s important to believe we can win the championship this year mainly owing to our performances last year and also considering we have done it before.”

“Looking at this squad, I cannot think of what will stop us from winning this war.”

Ssimbwa also confirmed all the new players are available for selection ahead of the league opener against Bandari in Narok on Sunday.

The signings include three proven goal scorers namely, Stephen Waruru, Kepha Aswani and Kevin Kimani. Aswani, who joins from Nakumatt, and Waruru, who quit Ulinzi Stars having resigned from the Kenya Defence Forces to pursue a professional football career, scored 23 league goals between them last season.

The duo is joined Kimani, who was voted the best player in the Kenya Premier League in 2011.

Other new players joining the club are Burundian left back Moussa Omar, Kakamega High School alumnus Patterson ‘Mariga’ Ogondi, Elly Asieche, Teddy Osok and Samson Eshikumo.

Asieche re-joins the side from Kariobangi Sharks while Kimani is back in the country after a pro stint in the Middle East.

Club finished second in the league last season with 55 points, 19 behind winners Gor Mahia.