APS Bomet coach Sammy “Pamzo” Omollo has challenged his forwards to improve their finishing as the Black Berets seek their first win of the SportPesa League season against Nairobi United at Police Sacco Grounds on Sunday.
Bomet head into the 3pm encounter without a goal in their opening two matches. They drew 0-0 away to Mathare United before suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to defending champions Gor Mahia last weekend.
“We have to be more clinical in front of goal because creating chances is not enough. We must learn to take our opportunities and make them count if we are to get the results we want,” Omollo said.
The coach also wants his players to maintain their defensive discipline as they look to contain Nairobi United and collect their first three points of the campaign.
“Defensive discipline will be important because we cannot afford to lose concentration. We have to stay organised, work together and remain focused from the first whistle to the last,” he said.
Omollo has set his sights on building APS Bomet into a top-five team, and Sunday’s match presents another opportunity for his charges to demonstrate progress towards that ambition.
“We want to keep improving with every game and compete with the best teams in this league. That means approaching every match with confidence, determination and a clear plan,” he said.
“The players must believe in themselves, fight for every ball and show the character needed to win. We know what is expected of us, and we have to deliver on the pitch,” he added.
Nairobi United are equally desperate for their first victory after drawing their opening two matches. They shared a 2-2 draw with KCB before playing out a goalless stalemate against Shabana.
Coach Patrick Aussems will be hoping his side can make home advantage count against a Bomet team that has conceded just once in two matches.
“We have to be more effective in the final third and show greater composure when chances come our way. We have played well in spells, but now we need to turn that effort into goals and victories,” Aussems said.
“We respect APS Bomet because they are a competitive side, but we are playing at home and want all three points. We must take the game to them and make our chances count,” he added.
Aussems also wants his players to build on their unbeaten start and turn their draws into wins.
“We have picked up two points, but we know we could have done better. The important thing is to learn from those matches, correct our mistakes and keep working to improve our performance,” he said.
The two sides have met four times, with each recording one victory and the other two encounters ending in draws. Both teams have scored three goals in those meetings. Their most recent clash ended 0-0 in March, while APS Bomet claimed a 2-1 victory in Nairobi in February. Three of the four encounters produced fewer than two goals.
Nairobi United sit 10th in the standings with two points, while APS Bomet are 14th with one point. Both sides will be eager to break their winless runs and climb the table.
