Nzoia Coach Mwalala eyeing top eight KPL finish

Nzoia Sugar Head Coach Bernard Mwalala has set a top eight league finish for his charges as the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) enters the second leg.

Nzoia, who were promoted to the top flight last season after winning the National Super League (NSL), rank 12th in the KPL and sit four points behind eighth-placed Bandari FC after 16 rounds.

The club enjoyed a brilliant start to their 2017 campaign and were viewed as potential candidates to push seasoned KPL titans for the title but have since ran out of steam with Mwalala blaming player exodus for the dip.

“We are not yet where we should be but working very hard to ensure that at the end of the season we are among the top eight clubs in the league.

“The club has not been stable financially leading to lose of important players to our rivals in the league,” Mwalala said.

Club top scorer Boniface Omondi is among those that have been lured away from the Sudi Stadium with the attacker joining KPL giants Gor Mahia FC.

Nzoia have made signings of their own with Collins Wakhungu, Patrick Omondi and Ronald Ochieng moving to the Bungoma-based club.

“I have lost close to ten players to other clubs so far and the challenge has been that we have not been able to sign from our rival clubs due to competition from them financially.

Nevertheless we have been recruiting players from schools, training them and turn them into best players and that’s what we have opted to doing,” Mwalala added.

The tactician said he hopes the trend will be broken the near future as he banked on sponsors Nzoia Sugar company as well as the club’s supporters to help them achieve their targets.

This season, Nzoia are yet to win a single match at the Sudi Stadium – the turf they made a fortress last season – but Mwalala backed the side to rediscover their home mojo.

During the 2016 National Super League (NSL) campaign, Nzoia lost only two matches all season with one of those coming at home to Kariobangi Sharks.

They lost their first home match against the same opponents but the shocking statistic is they are yet to register a single win on the same venue.

Tags:

Nzoia sugar Bernard Mwalala KPL Kenyan Premier League football Nzoia United

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