NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 20 – The coach of national men’s hockey league side Greensharks, Leon Magomere, admits the hectic work schedule of his players is negatively affecting the side’s squad depth.
Magomere said they have not been able to field a full matchday squad in their first two games of the second leg of the season, noting this has affected their ability to play to their full capabilities.
“The problem is that our depth is quite low and we are a bit understaffed in certain areas of the team. Most of the players are torn between work commitments and playing hockey so they are unable to attend most matches. In fact, on Sunday, we improved considerably because we had 15 players as compared to last weekend when we only had 13. Nonetheless, I hope everything will work out for the best because we have only just begun the season,” Magomere said.
He watched as his side come out guns blazing in the second half to win 3-1 against Mombasa Sports Club in a Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) league tie at City Park on Sunday.
An Adan Talas brace and Benson Mawich’s second minute strike were enough to guarantee victory as James Omondi grabbed a consolation for the coastal side.
The win notwithstanding, Magomere believes there is more work that needs to be done before the sharks can begin swatting teams aside.
“Today’s game was much better than the previous (against Butali Warriors). I think if we continue in the same way then we will go to greater heights. I look forward to the next game where I hope there will be more improvements,” the tactician said.
He added: “However, it is true we wasted a lot of chances and lacked a cutting edge in front of goal. This is what we are going to work hard on this week before the weekend’s game.”
Fatigue to blame
On his part, MSC skipper Mariano Emadau attributed the loss to fatigue among the players after travelling on Friday night from Mombasa to play their first match on Saturday against Park Road Badgers – a game they won 2-0.
“Towards the end of the match, the team lost concentration and our fitness levels somehow dropped compared to yesterday. That’s how Greensharks were able to take advantage and score those two quick goals,” Emadau said.
He added: “That (long hours of travelling) is a contributing factor considering we arrived in Nairobi at 4.30 a.m. on Saturday and then we had the match in the evening where we managed to keep a clean sheet. We were able to equalize against Sharks and as we pushing for the winner, they managed to punish us with the two goals.”
Despite a tough experience in their debut season in the top tier, Emadau is nonetheless adamant that talk of a relegation fight is premature.
“We just have to push on. Relegation is still far-fetched because it is still early in the season and we mathematically have a chance to stay up. So, that (relegation) is something we are not even thinking about. I think we have improved a lot considering we won yesterday and even today, we had our chances but just couldn’t convert them,” he said.
While the men faltered, the MSC ladies team returned to Mombasa with maximum points after dismissing Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) 2-1 and Multimedia University 2-0 in their Super League ties on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
