Bandari Coach Mwalala Confident Ahead Of 2018/19 SPL Season
26th November 2018
The Dockers wrapped their best league season with a massive 19-point improvement from last season, reaching 62 as they reduced the winning gap from last year from 19 to 13
- Bandari FC head coach Bernard Mwalala believes that his side are capable of bettering last season’s performance that saw them finish a record second place in the SportPesa Premier League (SPL)
- Bandari’s marvelous season in the domestic top flight was boosted by a 2-1 victory against Gor, which ended their unbeaten streak as they suffered their first loss of the 2018 SPL season
- The 2018 SPL defender of the year, Felly Mulumba, echoed his coaches’ remarks and emphasized that they are ready to face any challenges they face in a quest to better last season’s performance
MOMBASA, Kenya- Bandari
FC head coach Bernard Mwalala believes that his side are capable of bettering
last season’s performance that saw them finish a record second place in the
SportPesa Premier League (SPL).
The Dockers wrapped their best league season with a massive
19-point improvement from last season, reaching 62 as they reduced the winning
gap from last year from 19 to 13, between them and eventual champions Gor Mahia
FC.
Bandari’s marvelous season in the domestic top flight was
boosted by a 2-1 victory against Gor, which ended their unbeaten streak as they
suffered their first loss of the 2018 SPL season at the Mbaraki Sports Complex.
“We had a tough season but my players
really proved their worth and that enabled us to finish in second place last
season.
“The Gor Mahia match where we ended their unbeaten run was a
fantastic fete as a coach and for the team as well. Our focus wasn’t about the
record, rather to win the game and we achieved our goal,” Mwalala underlined.
The club's most recent success prior to this season was a
1-0 Kenyan Super Cup victory over record domestic league winners Gor in 2016,
after claiming the FKF President's Cup, also known as the GOtv Shield Cup the
previous year.
The dockers continue to prepare for the start of the 2018/19 SPL season and seem to be ready as they stated their intention to impress with a 13-0 drubbing of Sagalla United FC in a pre-season friendly last Saturday.
New signings
“The first few games of the season are very important for us
as a team and our target is to pick up where we left off.
“We are very lucky as Bandari to not have lost even one
player from the first team. The management has done a great job in retaining the
players and that is a head start as we prepare for the new season,” Mwalala
stated.
“It’s a challenge to adapt to the new calendar with the
season starting in December and running for six months but it’s one that we
must take in our stride.
The coast-based side have made some new signings in defender
Brian Otieno and goalkeeper Mustapha Oduor from Nzoia Sugar FC and Moses Mudavadi
from St. Anthony’s High School.
The 2018 SPL defender of the year, Felly Mulumba, echoed his coaches’
remarks and emphasized that they are ready to face any challenges they face in
a quest to better last season’s performance.
“Firstly, we have to thank God for the great season we had
and moving on we just need to believe in ourselves and realize that we can
achieve anything we set our sights on.
“There is a great relationship between the management and
the players, this helps the team work together and it’s making Bandari a force
to reckon with.
“There are many challenges and we know what we are capable
of so we are going into the new season with positivity and belief that we can
perform even better than we did last season,” the Bandari captain remarked.
Bandari will kick off their league campaign with a tough
test as they square off against record domestic league champions Gor, at the
Mbaraki Sports Club on Saturday, December 8.