AFC Leopards coach Fred Ambani has kept faith in his team’s title credentials, backing his charges to push for SportPesa Premier League honours despite the recent 1-0 defeat to Posta Rangers.
Ambani said the positive returns from their pre-season programme have fuelled confidence in the dressing room and given the squad greater belief heading into the campaign.
“Our pre-season matches have been great because the results have been coming in. We have won our three matches, and this gives the team a lot of confidence that for the next season, they can do something great,” Ambani said.
The defeat by Posta Rangers was a rare blemish in an otherwise encouraging pre-season spell, during which Ingwe secured wins over Pamba Jiji, Kakamega Homeboyz, Nairobi United, Moi Kabarak University and Kipchimchim FC.
Ingwe’s preparations stretched beyond Kenyan soil, with trips to Tanzania and Uganda providing further tests before the new campaign. Ambani said the friendlies had given his bench valuable insight into the squad’s strengths and the areas that require further refinement. “We have been preparing well, and the boys have responded very well to the demands of the technical team,” he said.
The club has made significant changes to its squad after finishing second behind Gor Mahia last season. Nine players have joined while 11 have left, with Taddeo Lwanga, Ugandan goalkeeper Tom Ikara, Musa Ceesay, Adama Kanteh, Robinson Musungu, Sebastian Wesa, Eric Balicho and Kevin Otala among the new arrivals.
Former Bandari FC head coach Bernard Mwalala has also joined the technical bench as first assistant coach. With Leopards chasing their first league title since 1998, Ambani believes the revamped squad has the depth required to compete for honours. “The competition is going to be tough, but we have prepared ourselves for that challenge. We have a good squad, and we believe we can compete for the title,” he said.
The club’s preparations, however, have been disrupted by the continued suspension of top-flight football amid the legal and administrative dispute over the rules governing promotion and relegation. Ambani warned that the prolonged wait could affect players who need competitive matches to maintain sharpness and match fitness.
“The longer we stay without competitive matches, the more difficult it becomes because players need games to maintain their sharpness and match fitness,” he said. Leopards have continued training while awaiting clarity on when the league will resume. But the coach acknowledged that training and friendly matches cannot fully replicate the demands of a competitive fixture.
“For a player, there is a big difference between training and playing a competitive league match. You need those games to keep improving,” he added.
The club had been preparing to begin its campaign against Mathare United before the league was put on hold. The uncertainty has left clubs having to manage player fitness and motivation without a definite competitive schedule.
Ambani said his players remain focused, but stressed the importance of ending the impasse as soon as possible. “We are ready to play, but we also need the league to start so that the players can express themselves in competitive matches,” he said.
Leopards have also received financial and institutional backing in recent months. President William Ruto hosted the club at State House in July and pledged an immediate Ksh10 million cash injection for signings, while raising its annual sponsorship top-up by Sh25 million to Sh100 million. A plan was also established to build a permanent training ground at the Kenya School for the Deaf in Karen.
An eight-member committee has meanwhile been formed to steer the club towards becoming a fully corporate and commercially viable entity within six months. Despite the off-field developments and extensive pre-season work, Ambani knows the ultimate measure of the team will come once competitive action begins.
“We have a responsibility to give our supporters something to celebrate. We will fight for every point and compete until the end,” he said. For now, Leopards remain in training as they wait for the league stalemate to be resolved. Ambani hopes the delay will not continue for much longer. “We just hope the situation is resolved soon because everybody wants to see competitive football return. We are ready,” he said.
