How MCF lost PL promotion hopes after impressive start

How MCF lost PL promotion hopes after impressive start

Mully Children’s Family (MCF) tactician Robert Arasa made no bones about their chances when quizzed on their readiness for the National Super League (NSL) challenge.

This was after their surprise promotion on short notice at the beginning of the season after Ushuru FC dropped out.

The team has suffered a heartbreak to their promotion ambitions in the 2020/21 DIV 1/NSL promotion playoff after going down 2-1 to Mwatate United FC and the opportunity to play in the second-tier league could not have come at a better time.

It is now 31 matches down the line, MCF blowing hot and cold to rank 11th on the log and look set for a disappointing finish with five matches to go for this season.

A series of scintillating performances at the early stages had earned them respect as potential contenders for automatic promotion to the top-tier league, Kenyan Premier League.

But along the way, the pace proved too fast for them, Arasa saying injuries to their key players and a thin squad depth has botched their season ambitions.

“Well, at some point we felt we stood a real chance of finishing among the best three teams in the division, but unforeseen eventualities like injuries and inconsistencies in fixture releases meant we could not sustain our momentum.”

Their inconsistency has typified the entire league this season as many sides have struggled for consistencies bar for league leaders Talanta who are the odds-on favorites to clinch the title this season.

“With the inconsistent fixture releases by the federation, it becomes difficult for many coaches to fully implement their training program. In my case, I normally put my players through light training on Monday immediately after the Sunday game and the intensity increases gradually as the week progresses.

“Unfortunately, there are instances when we are notified that we are supposed to have a game on Wednesday, and in such cases, my players have not fully recovered,” he assessed.

Understandably, the fixture pile-up was occasioned by the two breaks that the government imposed across all sports in the country owing to the outbreak COVID-19 pandemic, a fate he hopes will not bombard them again next season.

With MCF comfortable above the relegation at the moment, he has solely trained his focus on attaining promotion to the Premier League next season but insists his team must retool in the areas they have identified weaknesses.

“The league will be competitive again next season because the teams destined for the chop from the Premier League will be competing for a return to the top tier. There is a possibility of other well-drilled teams in the current season challenging for promotion too.

“This implies that we must recruit across all departments to ensure that we have a squad we can rely on for real promotion.”

Arasa’s enviable tenure with MCF has seen the side secure consecutive promotions from the lower divisions and still remains one of the teams to watch next season.

Tags:

National Super League NSL Kenyan Premier League Robert Arasa MCF Mully Children’s Family

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