Shabana thought they had won their clash against Ulinzi Stars until Glen Wafula headed in a dramatic equaliser in the very last minute to force them to settle for a 2-2 draw.
Shabana head coach Sammy Omollo ‘Pamzo’ has explained why he feels his charges have the capability to surprise many despite relinquishing a lead in the last minute to Ulinzi Stars during their second league encounter of the season at the Ulinzi Sports Complex on Sunday afternoon.
The Gusii-based side, eager to secure their first win of the season, was also chasing their maiden victory over Ulinzi Stars, a team they had never beaten before. However, despite a spirited fightback, Shabana were left to rue a last-minute goal that saw them relinquish a hard-earned lead and settle for a 2-2 draw.
The result left Shabana in 10th place on the table, still without a win but with two points from their two opening draws of the season.
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After the match, a visibly frustrated Omollo expressed his disappointment at his team's inability to hold onto the lead, an issue that plagued them in the first half of last season.
"It is disappointing because these are things we have been working on since taking charge of the team," lamented Pamzo.
"When I took over, we were conceding in the last minute, and we had corrected it. I do not know why it happened again today, but we lost a bit of focus on our blind side. We should have dealt with it."
Omollo was particularly critical of defender Elvis Osok, who limped off the pitch, leaving Shabana vulnerable during the corner kick that led to Ulinzi’s equalizer.
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"That moment Osok went out, he should never have gone out. He should have been strong and continued with the game because when you go out, you're losing the shape of defending. It was our own undoing, and we have to work hard to correct that."
Despite the disappointment, Omollo praised his team’s overall performance, singling out Mathew Tegisi for his two well-taken goals and applauding the team's fighting spirit.
"We were controlling the game with good touches going forward, good attacking, and very good defending. But two good goals from Tegisi kept us in the game," Pamzo noted.
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"What I like is that we are disappointed because we have drawn. It shows good mentality. It is a game we should have won, but I'll take this point and work on our weaknesses."
Omollo also acknowledged the challenge posed by Ulinzi Stars, who are now under the leadership of new coach Danstun Nyaudo.
"Ulinzi is a good side. If we were playing against a less organized team, we could have lost by a bigger margin. They were really strong going forward and gave us a hard time, especially from their right side."