Tusker FC head coach Paul Nkanta hopes the return of Harambee Stars forward Allan Wanga will inspire his side reclaim the KPL title they last lifted in 2012.PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu.
NAIROBI, Kenya, July 7- Tusker FC head coach Paul Nkata believes the arrival of Allan Wanga back at the Ruaraka based club will be a vital catalyst to the team’s ambition of reclaiming the Kenyan Premier League title.
Wanga returned to his boyhood club, Tusker after an unsuccessful one year stint at Tanzanian top tier side Azam and Nkata, who has watched his new signing in training twice is optimistic his scoring prowess is exactly what his side needs to depose Gor Mahia off the champions’ title.
“He is a good player, quite experienced and the two days I have watched him in training, I know he will give us good strength in striking which was our weakness in the first leg. With a player such as Allan (Wanga), who is a proven goal scorer, I know we will be a strong side,” Nkata told Capital Sport after seeing his side beat Mount Kenya University 4-0 in a warm up match at the Ruaraka Complex on Thursday afternoon.
“Maybe he might not be ready for the next match against Ulinzi but in the third match of the second leg, we are going to see him in action,” the coach added.
-Wanga happy to be back-
Allan Wanga has made a return to Tusker FC from Tanzania giants Azam FC.PHOTO/Michezo Africa.
Wanga was not part of the Thursday session as he was nursing flu but had trained with the rest of the team from Tuesday.
“I am happy to be back at Tusker and I look forward to playing a huge role in helping them this season,” Wanga asserted.
Tusker signing Wanga might be a sign of good omen of sorts as the player has never failed to win a trophy in all the eight clubs he has played for in his career.
When he first joined the Brewers in 2007, he helped them to the league title by banging in 21 goals. His form saw him move to Angola and signed for Petro Atletico, playing there for two seasons and helping them to back-to-back titles with 16 goals in both seasons.
At the beginning of the 2010 season, he moved to Azerbaijan joining FC Baku and helping them win the domestic cup despite playing for only the final three months of the season, scoring six goals in all competitions.
In June that year, he moved back to Kenya joining Sofapaka and helping them to the GOtv Shield (then FKF Cup).
His next step saw him move to Viatnam joining FC HAGL where he inspired them to the league and cup titles before returning home again to play for AFC Leopards, a club he led to the GOtv Shield triumph in 2013.
In 2014, he moved to El Mereikh in Sudan where he aided them to the CECAFA Kagame Cup title, scoring the vital goal in the final. He would prove to be a big hit in the Sudanese Capital where he went on to help Mereikh to the league and cup titles in the two seasons he played there.
Wanga now hopes he can use the same inspiration to lift the league leaders who saw Gor pluck the title off their arms in 2013 and won it thrice in a row.
-Title hopes-
Tusker FC head coach Paul Nkata issuing instructions when his team beat Mount Kenya University 4-0 in a friendly match played at their Ruaraka Grounds backyard on Thursday, July 7, 2016.PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu.
Nkata though believes it will not be an easy task to win the league but he reckons he has a squad rich enough to battle with the top boys.
“Every team is tough and we have to take a match at a time and give our best,” the Ugandan tactician who joined the Brewers at the start of the season added.
His sentiments were shared by his skipper James Situma who reckons the club can win the league title if they remain on top for the next one month.
“The biggest thing is consistency. If we can be able to get results day in day out and ensure we remain on top for the next one month, I am sure we will be okay to win the league. But it is tough, if you look at the table right now, the gap between number one and eight is very small and anyone who slips goes down. We need to keep on pushing and winning the big games,” Situma opined.
Tusker FC new signing George Mandela in action during their build-up match where they hammered Mount Kenyan University 4-0 at their Ruaraka Ground on Thursday, July 7, 2016.PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu.
Tusker travel to Nakuru to face 2010 champions Ulinzi Stars on Sunday, one of the only two sides to beat them in the league this season.
Robert Matano’s men beat Tusker 2-0 in Machakos in February and the league leaders will be seeking revenge when they descend on the Afraha Stadium.
“They are a tough team, physically strong and also title contenders. They lost their last match to Mathare and I know that will give them some extra strength to come out fighting against us,” Nkata said.
The tactician will have a huge field to choose his best 18 as the only injury he has is to defender Martin Kizza.
