AFC Leopards coach Tomas Trucha remains cautious about title hopes despite a strong start to the FKF Premier League season.
AFC Leopards coach Tomas Trucha has cautioned fans against premature hopes of lifting the elusive FKF Premier League title despite the team's strong start to the 2024/25 season.
Ingwe have impressed in the opening stages of the campaign, winning three of their first four matches to sit third on the 18-team league table with nine points.
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Leopards are just one point behind league leaders KCB and second-placed Kariobangi Sharks. However, Trucha insists it is too early to talk about winning the title.
“Give us another two games to see what happens first. If the team continues to perform, then let us talk about our title chase after the six games. We have just started, it is a positive start, a start I would have liked, but we cannot talk now about the title,” said Trucha as SportsBoom.com
AFC Leopards began their season on a high demolishing newly promoted Mathare United 4-0.
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However, their momentum was briefly halted in their second fixture, where they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Posta Rangers despite dominating large portions of the game.
Ingwe bounced back with a hard-fought 1-0 win against Bidco United in their third match and continued their fine form with a 2-1 victory over Nairobi City Stars at Dandora Stadium on matchday four.
Looking ahead, Trucha is keen to see how his side fares in the upcoming games before making any bold claims.
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The Czech tactician believes the next two matches will be crucial in assessing their title credentials with their next challenge coming against Murang’a SEAL.
“We will next face Murang’a SEAL, and to be honest, after the first six games of the season, it will tell you something about the team. Let us see where we will be by then. There is another FIFA international break in November, let us wait and see where we will be in another FIFA window break,” Trucha added.
The gaffer also acknowledged that while the team has been impressive in their early outings there are still areas that need improvement.
Trucha highlighted the mistakes made in their recent 2-1 win over City Stars, stressing the importance of minimizing errors if they are to maintain their momentum.
“We want to keep improving, so we are not there yet. We must work on our mistakes and make them minimal. All the mistakes from the City Stars game will be worked on, we will strive to improve and keep taking it a game at a time,” he said.
AFC Leopards have not tasted league glory since 1998 a drought that has weighed heavily on the club and its passionate fanbase.
Leopard's last piece of silverware came in 2017 when they clinched the domestic Cup with a 2-0 victory over Kariobangi Sharks.
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Last season, however, they ended the campaign without a trophy, finishing fifth in the league with 51 points, a distant 22 points behind fierce rivals and champions Gor Mahia.
“We must be realistic. There is still a long way to go, and we must keep working hard. The title is not something we should talk about just yet,” Trucha concluded.
AFC Leopards will be aiming to extend their strong start when they take on Murang’a SEAL in their next league fixture as they continue their pursuit of a long-overdue title triumph.