Tusker FC head coach Paul Nkata during a past Kenyan Premier League match. PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu
NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 28- Bandari FC skipper Wilson Obungu has backed new head coach Paul Nkata to succeed at the club after joining the Coastal based side on a two year deal from Kenyan Premier League and GOtv Shield champions Tusker FC.
Obungu believes Nkata’s credentials are strong enough to up Bandari’s tide after the club performed dismally in the just concluded season.
“It is a welcome thing because he is a coach who has done tremendous things. If you look at what he did at City Stars helping them to evade relegation despite all the trouble then to Muhoroni and finally with Tusker winning the double, it tells you he is a good coach,” Oburu told Capital Sport.
He added; “We expect good things from him and I think it is a positive thing for the club to have hired him. Hopefully he can get the best out of us in the new season.”
Having performed well in the 2015 season, Bandari bottled up in 2016 and finished 12th, a season that saw them sack head coach Twahir Muhiddin mid-season over the slump.
Obungu has admitted they were victims of their own success, also hinting the new players took too long to adapt hence the failure to grind results.
Obungu took time in his off season to coach the Bandari Youth team in the KPL U20 Championship, leading them to the quarter finals. PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu
“We had so many new faces in the team and they took long to adapt to the Coastal culture and the way things are done here. By the time things were stabling up a bit, the season was already almost over. It wasn’t a good season for us,” the shot stopper opined.
He now hopes with Nkata taking on the steering wheel in 2017, things will be different and he is ambitious enough to state the dockers have the ability to also fight for the title.
The former Tusker FC and Sofapaka shot stopper will turn his attention back to the Premier League preparation after taking charge of the club’s youth team in the ongoing KPL under-20 Championship.
Bandari Youth were eliminated in the quarter finals after a 5-1 loss to AFC Leopards. Obungu however says he was content with the performance of the young side as it was only the first time they were making it into the knockout phase.
The goalkeeper saw the opportunity to coach the youth side as a perfect launching pad into coaching as he starts early preparations for life after active football.
“It is something I am thinking about and I am happy because the Bandari management gave me an opportunity to start learning slowly, the experience has been good. I still have some time to play but I have to start early to get the badges,” Obungu told Capital Sport.
