Slum Boys head to Gusii Stadium to face Shabana after three weeks break
Mathare United will on Sunday take on Shabana FC at the Gusii Stadium in Kisii as the Premier League resumes after a three-week break.
This match was first scheduled to take place after the international break last week, but following the death of the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga, a week ago, this match and other Round Five fixtures scheduled for that weekend were suspended.
Last season, we went unbeaten against Tore Bobe, drawing 0-0 in Kisii after a 1-0 success in Nairobi. Sammy Imbuye played in both fixtures, and he previews Sunday’s game.
“As a team, I think we are very focused. We haven’t had a strong start to the season, and after losing our last game, the focus is there and the belief that we are going to get maximum points,” Imbuye, who has been a constant fixture on the right side of our defence since he joined last season, shared.
“It’s not going to be an easy match, but we have prepared well and are ready for what is to come.”
Imbuye, who will serve as one of the captains for this season, believes that going unbeaten last season against Shabana settles the team’s nerves and has allowed them to prepare well.
He said, “When you rack up positive results against one team, it gives you some sort of an advantage and allows you to settle, strengthening your belief that you can do it again.”
After four rounds of play, the lads have managed to earn four points, thanks to a 1-0 victory over KCB and a 0-0 draw with Tusker. The two results are sandwiched between our two losses against Posta Rangers and Kariobangi Sharks.
The start of the season saw a congested fixture list, with the lads not having more than 72 hours to prepare after each matchday.
Imbuye, who has played in every single minute this season, believes the extended break period has been beneficial to the team after that crammed-up start.
“The break has been extremely beneficial to the entire team. We saw some players getting injured, and they have now had time to recover. Burnouts were also an issue, so the break came at the right time and has allowed us to return to a much stronger side.”