NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 23 – Sammy SImiyu started off the Ulinzi Stars season that led them to clinching their fourth Premier League title in 2010. Stephen Ochollah skippered the team with Mulinge Ndeto and Evans Amwoka both playing an integral role in the team.
Twelve years later, Simiyu has returned as head coach with Francis Onyiso retained as goalkeeper coach.
His skipper then, Stephen Ochollah is now his right hand man at the club with Ndeto and Amuoka also forming part of the technical bench.
The coaching staff now hopes to repeat the same feat they achieved as players, this time on the opposite end as coaches.
“We are trying to build something with the current team that we have and we will build something that everyone will remember for a long time to come. If we can do it again from this side of the technical bench then that would be the best experience ever for us,” Ochollah told Capital Sports.
Ulinzi Stars FC players line up before a past Premier League match. PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu
He added; “If you look at the technical bench, we have a coach in every department. Onyiso is dealing with the keepers, Mulinge with the defenders, Sammy and I with the midfielders and Amwoka works with the strikers. Such kind of experience is massive in the team and gradually, we will build something special and soon you will see the results.”
The military side has however had a slow start to the season and are currently placed 13th in the standings with a paltry 17 points from 13 matches.
However, Ochollah believes thet will come good.
“Of course I am not happy with where we are on the table because it is not where we are expected to be considering we started the league well. But I believe that better days are coming,” he said.
“The problem has been the fact that we are not finishing off the chances we create. That is the only shortfall that we have but at least, we are creating. Now we need to work on killing off those chances early enough,” further said the coach.
The soldiers face fellow uniformed forces Kenya Police in the second instalment of the Afande Derby at the ASK Showground on Sunday afternoon. With the first leg in Nairobi on Wednesday having ended in a barren draw, the military outfit are seeking a win on home soil in Nakuru.
Ulinzi coach Stephen Ochollah with Kenya Police FC counterparts. PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu
“If we converted the chances we had I believe we would have carried the three points. But now we meet them in our backyard and we are looking forward to a very entertaining match. We will fight for the three points at home and possibly start off our resurgence from there,”
The first leg of the derby was highly billed with a good crowd attending the tie. The same is expected in Nakuru on Sunday and Ochollah says he was delighted to see fans back in full force in the stadium.
“It is a motivation to the players when they see fans back and we hope that we are going to see more coming in to watch our game,” said the former midfielder.
