The two-week break Mathare United will try to do the impossible as they take on reigning league champions Gor Mahia in a Betking Premier League match to be played at the Ruaraka Grounds on Wednesday afternoon.
A narrow 1-0 loss to AFC Leopards on May 27 was not the result the 2008 champions wanted but their second half display showed that there is slight improvement in the team since Frank Ouna took over as the head coach.
Ouna will be meeting his former employers and he knows the threat posed by them. K’Ogalo are unbeaten in eight outings and this is the reality Mathare United will be facing.
“The games came in thick and fast when I was appointed. I believe we played three matches in the space of eight days and in such a short time I couldn’t coach the team the way I wanted to. I couldn’t even analyze our opponents extensively,” he said.
“The last two weeks however have come in handy because in that time we have been able to look at different schemes and get everyone involved. We were fortunate to play three friendlies that have gone a long way in helping us prepare for tomorrow’s game.”
With both teams having started the season in similar fashions, they are fighting it out on opposite ends at the moment and this is enough motivation for his Boys who are facing the teeth of relegation.
“We started the season badly together with Gor Mahia but they managed to change their situation faster and are now in the running for yet another league title. They have shown us that it is possible to change our fortunes,” he said.
Mathare will miss the services of captain David Ochieng ‘Cheche’ who was given matching orders in their loss to AFC Leopards at Ruaraka two weeks ago.