AFC Leopards could not find a way to overcome Kariobangi Sharks as both sides had to share the spoils on Sunday afternoon.
AFC Leopards interim coach Fred Ambani has pinpointed first-half struggles as the key reason his side failed to secure maximum points in their 0-0 draw against Kariobangi Sharks at Dandora Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Despite both teams creating goal-scoring opportunities, neither could find the breakthrough, with the result leaving Leopards in sixth place with 30 points, while Sharks sit 13th on 20 points.
Speaking after the match, Ambani admitted that his team was caught off guard in the opening half, forcing him to make tactical changes after the break.
AFC Leopards could not make their chances count as they were forced to share the spoils with Kariobangi Sharks in Dandora on Sunday.
“We got it wrong in the first half because it did not go how we wanted,” Ambani said. “We had to make changes in the second half to try and fix the problem, and we got better, but we frankly struggled in the first half.”
He further acknowledged that AFC Leopards are usually more dominant in the early stages of games but found themselves on the back foot against a well-organized Sharks side.
“We normally win games in the first half most times, but they caught us off guard. They are also a team that are good at retaining possession in the middle half,” he added.
The coach also noted that the return of forward Ovella Ochieng from injury affected the team’s rhythm, with the attacker still working to regain full match fitness.
“I had some players coming from injury, like Ovella, and you could tell he struggled to adapt to the tempo of the game. That is going to happen when you are coming back from a long-term injury,” he explained.
Despite the disappointment of dropping points, Ambani was pleased with the return of Hassan Beja, who had been sidelined for nearly three months due to injury.
The winger was deployed as a right-back and delivered several dangerous crosses that nearly helped Leopards snatch all three points.
“The type of quality that boy has is going to be vital for us. We want to work on his fitness because he is an asset to the team. He makes our attack more lethal, so to have him back is a bonus,” Ambani said.
AFC Leopards will now shift their focus to their upcoming clash against Sofapaka as they look to bounce back to winning ways.
