)
Tore Bobe returned to the top flight after a 17-year wait but that might not have happened had the club not taken a hardline stance on their supporters
Shabana FC might not have secured top flight promotion were it not for some hardline stance taken by the club management and technical bench on their supporters early in the season.
Tore Bobe earned a return to the Football Kenya Federation Premier League for the first time since 2006 but it has now emerged that their biggest asset, the fans, almost killed that dream when they started questioning the composition of the team while demanding the inclusion of certain players.
While responding to a fan who sought to know why they do not post the team sheet on their official social media handles before matches, the club said it was down to the supporters’ intrusive behaviour which started creating division in the team, leading to poor results.
“We used to post lineups, people started viewing them from a tribal angle, fans also want their favourite players to start, it brought a divided dressing room and we started performing poorly. Ever since we avoided, we have a united dressing room with + results,” the club said on Twitter.
“Our aim this season was a direct KPL promotion. A united dressing room was the key to this. The technical bench advised so and we have seen the results.”
Shabana fans have been the backbone of the team in their promotion journey, turning up in large numbers to push them on with the club relying on gate collections and donations from well-wishers to sustain the playing unit.
They have also reaped the fruits of a cohesive dressing room, posting impressive results and secured their place back in the top flight with four games to spare following last Sunday’s 1-0 win over Migori Youth.
Unlike before when they started well only to fizzle out in the latter stages of the season, this campaign has been different with the club enjoying remarkable levels of consistency with their promotion almost certain two months ago.
The Glamour Boys have the meanest defence in the National Super League, having conceded just 11 goals in 28 matches, and the second-best attack that has scored 45.
Shabana, who face Darajani Gogo on Friday, have a chance to end the season as champions given they have a match in hand over leaders Murang’a Seal who are tied level on 64 points with them.
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)