Crowd support key to our title bid – Oburu

Bandari FC team manager Wilson Obungu believes that having a huge crowd of supporters at their home matches at Mbaraki Sports Club will be a solid launch pad to a maiden Premier League title this season.

The dockers have had a roaring start to the campaign as they bid to build on the gains of last term when they finished second to Gor Mahia, the impeccable run mainly fueled by an impressive second leg performance.

And Oburu who played a starring role in the team as first choice custodian before joining the technical bench as goalkeeping trainer culminating in his elevation as team manager wants a carnival mod in their home matches as they bid to make Mbaraki a fortress.

The Dockers are currently placed second on the log on 21 points, three shy of leaders Mathare United.

According to Obungu, the crowd witnessed at Mbaraki on Sunday during the 4-1 demolition of AFC Leopards was a catalyst to the win.

The former Kenya international has in the meantime appealed to supporters to stop criticizing the young players in the squad and instead motivate them to pull up.

”The twelfth man in any given game is the supporter… we witnessed that (against AFC Leopards), so we will continue to rally our fans to come out in large number and support the team in our home matches as it will be a reason for us to fight for the league title,” Obungu told Citizen Digital.

Oburu is also not concerned by the  potential fixture glut adding that they’re prepared for the rigour that comes with playing in the top division.

The league, for the first time kicked off in December as Kenya races to align her league calendar with that of Fifa . This will see the season run until July.

”All players plus the technical bench is aware of the fixture so it’s just a matter of what and how a team will plan their activities,” added Obungu reckoning that his team will take one match at a time.

This approach, he believes will help them rise to the summit of the log as they bid to snatch the title from Gor Mahia.

Bandari travel to Nairobi to face a potentially bruising battle from Tusker on Thursday at the Ruaraka grounds.

Report by Luqman Mahmoud