Situma hoping CAF-bound Tusker holds on to its stars

Tusker FC Captain James Situma has highlighted the importance of retaining the squad’s best players as key in their bid to retain the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) when the new season kicks off.

The Brewers’ preparations for the CAF Champions League are gathering momentum and Situma says the focus is in keeping everyone fit and motivated ahead of February 11 when the annual premier club competitions begin.

Tusker FC are set to take on AS Port Louis of Mauritius in the competition’s preliminary round before facing Sudanese giants Al Hilal in the first round a month later should they emerge the tie’s aggregate winners.

The champions will play hosts in the opening tie of their two-legged fixture against the six-time Mauritian Premier League winners between February 10 and 12 with the return leg fixture planned for February 17-19 at the St Francis Xavier Stadium in Port Louis.

“It’s a bit easier to get into the group stages now. Therefore we are focusing more on our training since we know that if we can prepare well and be lucky enough to avoid many injuries then we are going to sail through to the group stage.

“Although the team has lost about three important players who have opted out for various reasons, we are still intact as a group and hopefully those new players who have come in will adeptly fill in well,” Situma told Citizen Digital.

He was full of praise for the club’s new Head Coach, George ‘Best’ Nsimbe who was appointed to replace Ugandan compatriot Paul Nkata who moved on to Bandari FC.

“He has great experience and we’re all looking forward to working under him.”

The former AFC Leopards defender added he was hopeful he would make the final cut of 18 players that will be selected to travel to the United Kingdom for a friendly match against English Premier League side Hull City.

He also lauded the project as one that would ultimately raise the level of club football in the country.

-Report by Mwangi Githinhji.