Ushuru FC boss Kenyatta slams players for relegation

Ushuru FC Head Coach Ken Kenyatta had no kind words for his players for underperforming as the team faces life in the National Super League season.

The Taxmen’s spectacular demise from the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) was confirmed on Saturday when they crashed to a 3-1 defeat to Posta Rangers as Sofapaka FC pulled out a sensational 5-1 victory over Thika United to stay up on goal difference.

Immediately after the final whistle, Ushuru players sunk to their knees in despair and Kenyatta led his team to a lengthy dressing room meeting at Safaricom Stadium, Kasarani where he delivered a damning assessment to the squad accusing them accusing them of lack of ambition and indiscipline.

Shaban Odhoji was on the receiving end for ‘amateur goalkeeping mistakes’ with Kenyatta blaming the custodian for failing to hold on to a shot from Ranger’s Dennis Mukaisi in the 53rd minute for the goal that proved costly in their battle to avoid the chop.

With the match well balanced at 1-1 at that point, Odhoji parried the initial shot back into play and could do nothing to stop Mukaisi tucking in the rebound as the visitors surrendered control of the match, allowing the Rangers take a 2-1 lead  before scoring a third soon after.

In the scathing attack, Kenyatta rounded on his players for their shocking second leg slump that saw them lose nine of their last 15 KPL matches and failing to win in the other six.

“You play for a club that is the second best paying the league so what excuses will you have for being relegated? I don’t know how to face our fans out there and everyone else that put so much faith in us this season,” Kenyatta lamented.

The tactician went on to cite the team’s attractive packages by local standards revealing the least earning player took home KSh 50,000 while warning the squad they face an uncertain future with the club.

Ushuru’s lack of desire has been all too evident this season. Their frailties at the back led them to finishing the league with a record highest goals conceded (42) while their attacking force sharpness in front of goal kept fading towards the homestretch of their wretched campaign.

There have been claims of a discord between Kenyatta, his technical bench and the playing unit with the tactician faulted for demanding to have absolute control of every aspect of their game. And on Saturday, it became all too palpable as Kenyatta disagreed with a technical bench member over a substitution.

That player-manager sour relationship may have spread onto the players themselves as Kenyatta went on to claim there had been no player unity.

Ushuru who were promoted to the KPL as Kenya Revenue Authority in 2013 return to one of the toughest divisions to get out of with club management yet to decide whether former AFC Leopards and Harambee Stars keeper Kenyatta who brought them up will be the man to continue in charge.

They join Nairobi City Stars who were relegated earlier in the KPL scrap-heap.