Tanzania Friendlies Are Mainly To Prepare For The SPL- K Sharks Captain Omondi
31st July 2019
The William Muluya-coached side are set to jet out to Dar es Saalam on Sunday, August 4 for a friendly match against Tanzanian giants Yanga SC later on the same day
- Kariobangi Sharks FC captain Eric Juma maintains that the upcoming pre-season friendlies in Tanzania are mainly for preparation as they aim to continue their steady rise in the Kenyan football scene
- Sharks began their pre-season fixtures in sublime fashion, as they not only became the first Kenyan club to host an English Premier League side, but also the first to record a historic win
- Omondi, who has captained the team through their SportPesa Shield and SportPesa Cup victories, however maintains that all the focus now lies on ensuring they are ready for the new season
NAIROBI, Kenya- Kariobangi
Sharks FC captain Eric Juma maintains that the upcoming pre-season friendlies
in Tanzania are mainly for preparation as they aim to continue their steady
rise in the Kenyan football scene.
The William Muluya-coached side are set to jet out to Dar es
Saalam on Sunday, August 4 for a friendly match against Tanzanian giants Yanga
SC later on the same day before a second match against an opponent yet to be
confirmed.
Sharks began their pre-season fixtures in sublime fashion,
as they not only became the first Kenyan club to host an English Premier League
side, but also the first to record a historic win.
Star attacking forward Duke Abuya scored for Sharks and Joe Williams equalized from a free kick before the minnows from Kariobangi
stole Kenyan hearts with a remarkable 4-3 penalty shootout victory.
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Omondi, who has captained the team through their SportPesa
Shield and SportPesa Cup victories, however maintains that all the focus now
lies on ensuring they are ready for the new season.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to play an international
friendly or two ahead of the new season. This will be the best way for us to
gauge ourselves.
“Even the clubs abroad are playing international friendlies in
preparation and it is no different with us here. We are all looking forward to
the trip,” Omondi told SportPesa News.
The 27-time Tanzanian league winners may treat this as a
grudge match having lost 3-2 to the eventual SportPesa Cup winners at the National
Main Stadium in Dar on January 22 this year.
Yanga have since acquired the services of former Bandari FC
goalkeeper Farouk Shikhalo, who conceded a solitary Harrison Mwendwa goal in
the final of the eight-team regional tournament.
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“If they take it as a grudge match then that is on them. Our
focus is to test ourselves and make sure we are ready to come and challenge for
the SPL title.
“The score isn’t important for us. We also have a couple of
new players and we just need to play together as a unit to ensure we are ready
for the new season,” Omondi added.
Sharks will begin their SPL campaign on Friday, August 30 at
the Moi Stadium in Kisumu against Western Stima FC.