Clogged Bukhungu Stadium denied us victory, laments Sofapaka coach Alves

Sofapaka coach Divaldo Alves has blamed the “unplayable” Bukhungu Stadium for his team’s 2-2 draw with Kakamega Homeboyz on Sunday afternoon.

Homeboyz made the most their bright start as two quick-fire goals from Ali Bai and Moses Chikati handed the hosts a 2-1 lead into the break.

However Sofapaka’s Ugandan marksman Peter Lwasa nicked a brace on either side of the breather to help Batoto ba Mungu snatch a point that ended their two-game losing streak.

The game’s kick-off was delayed by an hour to allow for a mop-up of the playing surface following heavy rains, with the fans who had turned up to be entertained with some riveting football doing the actual mop up.

Speaking to Citizen Digital, Alves said the clogged playing surface made it difficult for his players to knock the ball around efficiently.

“We are a team that likes to play with the ball on our feet but unfortunately with this ground we were not able to do that.

“It made the game fifty-fifty because anybody could commit mistakes and anybody could score,” he observed.

He, however, lauded Sofapaka for giving his side a good challenge.

“But besides this Homeboyz played very well, they were very aggressive on attacking in the first half.

“They scored the first half but with our good spirit and mentality we managed to snatch a draw,” he reckoned.

He challenged his charges to rediscover their winning form when they take on Wazito on Saturday.

“We aim to win because our position in the league is not very good. We are content with the one point we got today away from home and I hope we will win our next match.”

His Kakamega Homeboyz counterpart, Nicholas Muyoti, echoed his concerns about the pitch saying it prevented his players from expressing themselves.

“The condition of the pitch could not allow us to achieve our playing style as the ball could not flow well.

“The boys did well but I am disappointed we could not bag all three points.

“We will have to work to offset the setback. I feel we conceded two easy goals from set-pieces and we must work hard in training to rectify that.

Muyoti has at the same time welcomed the timely return of Moses Mudavadi to the team’s ranks saying he will help revitalize the team’s ambitions to climb higher on the log assuring that the team is in a position to fill the gaps left by injured players.

“We are happy he is back because he is an important player for us. We missed him dearly last season.

“We have not struggled much this season because of the impressive squad depth but I am sure his return will energize the team.

Homeboyz will aim to return to winning ways when they take on Western Stima on Sunday.