Leopards Coach Hall seeking the perfect combination

AFC Leopards Head Coach Stewart Hall is eager to find the ‘perfect squad combination’ after his side’s 3-0 win over Embu County team on Friday offered him a glimpse of progress at the Den ahead of the new Kenyan Premier League (KPL) season.

Two of the Englishman’s new signings, Whyvonne Isuza and Marcelas ‘Adebayor’ Ingotsi, were on target as the Leopards claimed a winning start to their pre-season friendlies.

Isuza, signed from local rivals Mathare United, opened the scoring in the 15th minute before Ingotsi doubled Leopards’ lead eight minutes later. Ingwe went three up just seven minutes before the break with Ingotsi claiming a first half brace.

“We fielded some 17 and 18-year-olds in the second half and you know young players; they tend to make a lot of wrong decisions so you have to teach them. We didn’t get behind the ball as much as I would have wished.

“The home team played really well and the win wasn’t as easy as it seemed. It’s like when a first division plays a second division team in a Cup competition; the small players feel it’s their time to shine. We have to give them credit.

“We went 3-0 up but they didn’t give up. They kept fighting,” Hall told Citizen Digital.

With the 2017 KPL season tentatively set to kick off on February 18, the former Azam FC tactician has allayed fears the team still looks fragmented.

“After one game we can’t tell how good we are but our operation has not been smooth. We signed a lot of new players but they couldn’t train with us until they got release letters from their respective clubs. Again, when they finally joined the squad we lost five to the KPL All Stars training camp.

“It’s been a challenge to find team cohesion but against the County team we did some things very well. Sometimes we had looked sloppy so we have to keep working hard. The combination play was fantastic,” Hall added.

Along with Isuza and Ingotsi, two of Leopards’ other new faces impressed at Embu’s Moi stadium with Robinson Kamura registering an assist and Ghanaian striker Gilbert Fiamenyo showing flashes of brilliance in a late second half cameo.

A visibly impressed Hall said he was not planning on making more signings.

“The transfer window is coming to a close so what we have now is our final squad for the new season. What remains to be done is coming up with our best line-up.”

-Report by Anthony Muchiro.