Kenya: Paka Eye Quarters

Nairobi Star (Nairobi)

Francis Wadegu

7 May 2011

FIRING three members of the technical was hardly the kind of distraction Sofapaka needed as they prepare for a match as crucial as tomorrow’s CAF Cup last sixteen second leg tie against St.Eloi Lupopo from Congo.

Sofapaka President Elly Kalekwa felt he needed to wield the axe in the aftermath of Wednesday’s shock 1-0 Kenyan Premier League (KPL) defeat at the hands of hitherto bottom of the table Nairobi City Stars that left them a massive eleven points behind league leaders Tusker.

When the stick finally landed, assistant coach Ezekiel Akwana, who masterminded Sofapaka’s historic run in the continental competition with wins over Aviacao and most memorably against Ismailia of Egypt, was relegated to the Academy in Huruma estate while team manager Bernard Matindi was suspended for one month.

Since taking up his new job after a coaching course in Europe, Francis Kimanzi has found it hard to bring the best out of his star-studded players. May be it was Akwana’s shadow hovering around him that was probably distracting him but starting from tomorrow, there will be no room for excuses from Kimanzi as he takes sole charge of the squad.’Watoto wa Mungu’ as they proved against Ismailia are in with a big chance to overturn the first leg 2-1 loss to Lupopo and become the first Kenyan side in seventeen years since Tusker (then Kenya Breweries) to reach the quarter finals of a continental competition.

To show the importance of this fixture to the club, Kimanzi rested regulars Bob Mugalia, John Baraza, Titus Mulama and Anthony Kimani in their loss to Stars, hoping to use them in tomorrow’s clash.

In other matches Motema Pembe of Congo, who beat Kenya’s Tusker 3-0 here in Nairobi to clinch the tournament in 1994, seek to overturn a 2-1 first leg loss at the hands of Haras El Hoodod of Egypt. Kabilliye of Algeria also have humongous fight as they seek to overturn a 3-0 loss to Missile in the first leg.

Sudan’s Al Ahly Khartoum need to win by four clear goals to oust Maghreb Fes while Nigeria’s Sunshine Stars take a 2-0 lead to Forcee Ames. In another match, Angola’s Premio de Agosto and FUS Rabat, who drew 1-1 in the first leg fixture also fight it out for quarter final slot.

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