NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 8 – Elvis Ayany was a KCB FC player in 2015 when they got relegated from the Kenyan Premier League but three years down the line, he has helped the team get promotion back to the top tier, though this time as the head coach.
The bankers assured themselves of a slot in next year’s top league after beating FC Talanta 2-0 on Sunday cementing their hold on second spot with an eight-point buffer between them and third placed Nairobi Stima.
“I was playing for KCB when we were relegated in 2015 and now I am thankful that I have helped the team gain promotion. It has been like a dream come true for me and I feel so proud of the players and the effort they gave,” the tactician told Capital Sport.
The bankers have previously tried in vain in 2016 and 2017 to return to top flight but on both occasions, they failed to deliver, waning away on the final few weeks of the campaign.
But this season, they prospered where they failed for the last two seasons, putting up a run of five wins on the trot to finally secure their place in top flight with a match to spare.
“This season we did things differently. We took our last seven matches very seriously and we were not underrating any opponent. There was so much togetherness in the squad and cohesion was great. I think that is what made the difference for us,” the tactician noted.
His sentiments were shared by skipper Bethwel Warambo who was part of the squad when they were relegated from the top tier and he says it was a huge relief for him to skipper the side back to the top tier.
“The management sat with me after we were relegated and they convinced me to remain with the team. The plan they had was great and I decided to remain. I am glad that decision proved to be the right one and I am so glad that we have finally made it into the league,” the defender noted.
He added; “Our focus is to get into the league and compete. We cannot afford to be relegated again and that is our first priority. We have a good team and the management has been behind us and we want to reward them with good performances.”
Ayany has meanwhile said he is not in a hurry to draft the team’s strategy for the new season despite a short turnaround with the new campaign kicking off on December 8.
“As at now we just want to celebrate the achievement and we will plan about the new season when the time is right. It is a short period but for us, it will just be like a continuation of the current season,” said the tactician who took over mid-season after the exit of John Kamau.