NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 27 – Nairobi City Stars head coach Sanjin Alagic says the team’s primary target in their return to the Kenyan Premier League will be to maintain their top-flight status and start the journey towards being a top competitor for the title.
The Bosnian tactician joined City Stars in 2019 and helped them to achieve Premier League status following four seasons in the National Super League.
“You don’t want to make the same mistakes like some teams have done before. You need to stay humble and what I told them is that when you come from the second division, the first target is to stay in the Premier League. The most important thing is to make a stable team which will stay in the league and with time become a serious opponent,”
“We are already one of the top three most organized teams in Kenya and we have all the structures in place. Now we go match by match and I hope we can achieve good results. We will stay humble, work hard,” the tactician further stated.
City Stars begin their campaign against Nzoia Sugar on Sunday at the Nyayo National Stadium.
He says his team is ready for the Premier League campaign and he believes they can compete well, saying they already laid out plans for their KPL campaign way ahead, when they were still in the National Super League.
“From the time I arrived, we made a strategy in the transfer window and we bought players who are national team experience and have Premier League experience. We made this target so that we don’t come and overhaul the team with 14 or 15 new players when we get promotion,”
“We bought few players who were our target having seen them last season and we knew they were going to be important for us and they have had time to adapt to our system and how we like to play. I believe we have done a good job and we will be a positive story in Kenya this season,” the tactician added.
City Stars have already resumed training in anticipation for the new season and coach Sanjin says his boys are ready to conquer.
Nairobi CIty Stars head coach Sanjin Alagic gives instructions during a training session. PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu
“In the beginning it was a bit hard because the guys had been out of serious training for six or seven months and it was important to be careful to prevent injuries. But now, everything has gone well, we are working really hard and I am really satisfied with the level of performance and their dedication towards training,” stated the tactician.
The coach says he is enjoying his stay in Kenya so far and hopes that he can equally enjoy the Premier League experience in the new season.
“Kenya is a really beautiful country with some nice people, always smiling, they like to joke and enjoy life, the weather is great and I can be honest and say I am enjoying my time here. I hope we can make something special and the people will see how much we work hard and soon when the Ministry allows they can be present to enjoy watching City Stars matches,” the coach states.
