Matano banks on home-ground magic against Juniors

AFC Leopards coach Robert ‘The Lion’ Matano is confident that playing at home will give them his side the advantage as they prepare to host Madagascar side FOSA Juniors in the first leg preliminary match of the 2018 Caf- Confederation Cup.

Leopards have been gearing up for the high stakes match set to be played at the Bukhungu Stadium on Saturday with routine work-outs at the Camp Toyoyo grounds in Nairobi and the veteran tactician is confident that playing before the adoring home fans will give his side the edge in the wake of a shaky start in the league campaign that saw his side register a 1-1 draw with Posta Rangers last weekend.

“As you can see, the team is in good form and I am confident we will beat FOSA Juniors,” Matano said, adding that the team has shown remarkable improvement since their 1-0 defeat to Gor Mahia in the Super Cup two weeks ago.

At the same time, Matano has said that he’s yet to settle on his preferred squad for the new season, even as the team left Nairobi for Kakamega on Wednesday afternoon ahead of the Saturday showdown.

“I don’t have a squad and it’s unlikely that I will choose one. I believe all my players have something to offer and I will be choosing them for individual matches based on merit and their form and not simply because they made the squad.”