Mathare United registered the first win of the season against KCB
John Kamau was full of praise for his charges after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over KCB FC on Friday.
In an afternoon Premier League clash at the Kasarani Stadium, Annex, the lads had the perfect response to their disappointing season opener and registered their first win of the season thanks to Elli Asieche’s sublime free kick.
After the game, Kamau weighed in on the attitude of his players, something he felt was a miss on matchday one.
He said, “I am happy with the players and how they have responded after the loss to Rangers. If you consider that we have had less time to prepare for this match than our opponents, I am pleased with our spirit. In the first game, we were not mentally strong, and we addressed this in the build-up to this game.”
United, who started their season last Monday, had three days to prepare for Friday’s clash.
Elli Asieche has had a bright start to the season and has scored both of our goals. He netted from the spot against Rangers, and against KCB, he showed he can do it from even further out than 12 yards. The veteran midfielder, who has been deployed in an unconventional striking role in both of our matches, curled home a stunning free kick from 30 yards out.
Addressing the Captain’s potent start to the campaign, Kamau said, “Playing Asieche in a false-9 role is giving us a new dimension. He is an intelligent player who, when you have him on the pitch, is like having a numerical advantage. Asieche has some outstanding, clever runs. He knows when to join (an attack) and when to drop, which is something that helps to open up the opponent.”
The gaffer also addressed the injuries sustained by Kevin Ouru and Herit Mungai. The two players were subbed off in the second half after they both needed extensive medical attention.
“I do not know much about the extent of the injuries, but I really hope they are not serious. It is too early to be losing players.”
With another midweek clash coming up on Wednesday against Tusker, United do not have much time to prepare but will now approach the clash with renewed confidence after putting their first points on the table.