Mathare United takes on KCB on Friday at Kasarani Annex Stadium
The lads are back in action on Friday when they take on KCB FC at the Kasarani Stadium Annex in Round 2 of the Premier League.
Ahead of the 3pm kickoff, Coach John Kamau has talked up the clash and is expecting a direct approach from the Bankers, whom he feels have already gelled together after an extensive off-season.
“We are going up against a team that did not break. A team that ended the last campaign and almost immediately started their preps for this season. They even went abroad for a week or so, so that shows you we are going to face a team that has gelled well. This was evident in the last round. We therefore have to be on top of our game mentally to be able to conquer them.”
Kamau cited mental breakdown as one of the main reasons why the lads started the season with defeat, falling 2-1 to Posta Rangers at the same venue on Monday. He delved deeper into this saying, “That address about us not being up to par mentally against Rangers was meant for the players. They are the ones who should address that, as they are professional players and understand the magnitude of playing for this club.”
It was not the start many had wished for, and now puts a bit of pressure on the team heading into the KCB clash. However, Kamau, a former KCB coach, has fallen short of terming Friday’s match, which will be live on Azam TV, as a must-win game.
He said, “I can’t say that this is a must-win match, as that will be putting unnecessary pressure on the players. We need to understand that this (the league) is a marathon. Some teams will come into the season on a high, while others will gradually improve as the campaign progresses. Case in point, last season.”
Friday’s match will be the 25th meeting in the top-flight between Mathare United and KCB FC since 2009. The Bankers have the advantage as they have won 11 times to our six. Last season, however, we went unbeaten in this fixture and picked up four points with a 1-0 win at the Dandora Stadium, ending a run of eight consecutive games without a win against our next opponents.